Anyone who has held a stressful position in the California business world understands the effect it can have on their mental health. However, new studies found that more employees are finding work stress is affecting their personal lives and even impacting their relationships. The stress is leading to an abnormally high amount of divorces, with more than 70% of people who were surveyed saying that work stress, in one way or another, caused their marriage to end.
Work stress contributes to the failure of relationships
Research shows that outside stresses negatively affects how individuals perceive their relationship. Stress leads to reduced closeness with partners, decreased reliance on them, and increased nervousness and anxiety about the relationship.
Some researchers assert that everyday stress accumulation has a greater impact on divorce than falling in love with someone else, domestic violence or major life events causing changes in private life. This link between workplace stress and divorce is observed in many individuals, particularly in a high-asset divorce where one or both partners have high-demand jobs that cause excessive stress.
When paths diverge
Twenty-first-century marriages often occur after both spouses have established their careers, with the average age of first marriage being around 28. This is the highest recorded in the past 50 years. When one partner achieves higher career success, it can create a dynamic that fosters stress and resentment. They may find themselves living in different worlds, leading to resentment and dissatisfaction. This ultimately erodes the marriage due to breakdowns in communication.
Career setbacks
Just as high-demand jobs can create stress, career setbacks or unemployment can also generate stress that impacts the marriage. Even high-powered executives are vulnerable to financial or job loss. One spouse may feel frustrated if the other’s financial situation changes post-marriage. This frustration can lead to divorce.
Being in a stressful work environment doesn’t guarantee divorce for a couple. It requires work, communication and effort to prevent work-related stresses from affecting the marriage.