Hi, Merely Me. As you know, I'm retired (and glad of it), but it seems to me that whether or not a job is stressful seems to depend, first of all, on how passionate you are about what you're doing. I had one boss that used to always say "Find your passion." I never could. I grew to like the work I did, but the deal breakers for me were dishonest, paranoid and vindictive supervisors who treated me like I was an idiot, even though the work I did was the mainstay of our group. But I had no Ph.D., you see, 
and they all did, so even though I'd been doing the work since before some of them were born, it didn't matter. Nearly everyone in management played politics to the hilt and, not being a political person, I got blind-sided a few times. My self-esteem was already rocky and they nearly sent me over the edge. Once I made the decision to retire, I just walked around smiling, feeling sorry for the ones left behind who couldn't get out.
By the way, I was surprised that air traffic controllers weren't on the high stress list! Or how about a bomb disassembler? But I think it's true, some people really thrive on being under the gun all the time. I'm not one of them!
I am not one either Judy!
I do like some stress...in the manner of...novelty...and the chance to do better and that sort of thing. I would not want to do the exact same thing everyday.
It does sound like your old job was not good for your mental health. What is that expression, "Hell is other people"? I think at some jobs...this can be very true. And it is especially difficult if one of the difficult people at your work place is your boss. I am sorry you had such a bad experience...sounds like you really tried. I am sure you feel so much more at peace now.
Thanks for sharing here Judy.
Merely Me,
I have worked in the Fire Service for over 20 years. I love it, and wouldn't have traded it for anything. BUT it is interesting that, with the exception of the Taxi Driver the FireFighter is the lowest paid! We also tend to die 10 years earlier than the average, due to stress & cancer, yet government officials want to go after our retirement benefits!
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That is always a blessing.
This is such a fascinating article. The jobs listed as most stressful would certainly cause me a lot of anxiety and I know I would not be suited for them. For me, doing work that I am passionate about helps me to deal with the stress of every day life. I have a great job that I love, work with amazing people (like Merely Me!), and feel minimal external pressure. That said, I still feel stressed out a lot. Unfortunately, I'm the one to blame for that constant state of stress I create. It is the pressure that I put on myself - not pressure that comes from others - that causes me a lot of unnecessary anxiety. Reading these blogs on AnxietyConnection.com always helps me to relax and reminds me that my mental health is in my own hands and it's up to me to take a breath and remember to count my blessings and just enjoy the work the I do.Thanks, Merely Me!
Thanks Kate!
This is such a good point that...being passionate about what we do certainly helps. It is all that much harder to deal with stress when you are not in love with the work that you do in the first place.
And I have found that anxiety and stress can be very subjective experiences...it is possible to be stressed out working in a library. Different aspects of jobs stress people out in different ways. And like you say...sometimes the stress is something we put on ourselves.
I consider myself extremely fortunate to have found a job which I love and can make a difference...these elements put any stressors into perspective.