New Survey Reveals How Kenyan Professionals Are Suffering Silently At The Work Place

By Perminus Wainaina

In a recent publication by one of the leading Kenyan newspapers, it was revealed that more and more Kenyans were suffering in silence at their places of work.

The article said that a majority of Kenyans were now suffering from chronic stress, anxiety and severe burnouts.

5 major reasons were given as:

  • Long working hours
  • Work overload
  • Lack of career advancement
  • Job insecurity
  • Financial constraints

Perhaps you are suffering the same symptoms as shown above.

If so, today I am going to give you practical solutions into how you can overcome this and make sure you remain productive.

Let us examine these five areas of concerns and see what solutions can be offered.

  1. Long working hours

If you have found yourself in this situation, then you are at an increased rate of suffering from stress, depression and this could ultimately affect your health.

Longer working hours means more pressure to meet deadlines and more targets and goals set for you to achieve.

 This means you will have lesser time for your family and personal life because you cannot achieve the balance.

How then do you avoid this?

Plan your work in order of priorities. Once you do so, set very clear timelines and delegate specific times to specific durations.

More importantly avoid distractions such as constantly checking your whatsapp, facebook, chit chat with your colleagues, extending your lunch break etc.

  1. Work overload

Does your boss give you loads of work that sometimes seem impossible to complete?

At the end of the day remember you are human first and you have your limits.

As risky as this may sound, it is okay to say “NO”. But before rushing into it, very clearly manage your time and see what can be done and what can’t.

You cannot let work overwhelm you because eventually you will crumble. There’s a difference between being stretched in order to grow and being plainly misused.

This Might Interest You >>> How Long Should You Stay In A Job?

  1. Lack of Career Advancement

As a career coach, I often get this complaint from my clients. Most of them feel stuck in a job that they have been doing for years.

They are still holding the same position and still earning the same salary.

There is just no opportunity for growth.

If you are experiencing lack of career advancement, it is time for you to take a bold step and change your situation.

Whether you need to apply for jobs in your area of passion, start your own business, ask for a promotion, do whatever it takes to make sure you get out of career stagnation.

Quickly See This >>> Stuck In Your Career? Here Is The Solution

  1. Job insecurity

I believe you will concur with me when I say we all want to do jobs that guarantee us of our security.

I’m sure anytime you notice a high turnover in companies it causes you to question how secure you feel in that job.

The insecurity associated with losing your job will give you emotional distress and will begin to cause you to be unproductive.

So why not look for more permanent jobs or invest in a business.

Also it’s a good idea to start networking and also saving up for future investments.

  1. Financial Constraints

We all need money.

It is after all a crucial means of survival.

Maybe most of what you earn goes into paying debts and by the time you are done, you have to borrow again just to survive because you have no more money left.

While money may not be your only motivation to work, having just what you need to take care of your necessities can guarantee a lot of happiness and emotional and physical well being.

If you struggling financially, try and look for new and legit ways to make extra cash. E.g. take online jobs, run a side hustle such as a kiosk or restaurant etc.

Alternatively, just apply for a better paying job!

You don’t have to suffer in silence anymore at your place of work.

Remember there are other more important things in life that count more than your job such as your health, mental, physical and emotional well-being and family.

Dows this article reflect what you are experiencing? If so, how are you dealing with it?

I’d like to hear from you in the comments section below.

I am a certified career coach, HR consultant and currently lead a team of 15 employees here at Corporate Staffing Services. As a career coach I help people discover their ideal career and the type of work they would most love to do. I also coach them on how to land their desired job, handle office challenges well and climb the corporate ladder faster and easier.

For more on coaching click here

18 Comments

  1. bankers being in sometimes as early as 7:00am and even as late as 7:00pm targets,pressure and too much to do at the close of the day.no time for yourself your children and family

  2. Why do employers insist on Saturday working hours? For essential services I understand but for office jobs there is no productivity. Most people tell of how they just report to work to drink tea. I wish employers would allow employees proper rest this will increase productivity.

  4. We mostly get into comfort zones and eventually feel like this is the kind of life we need to be living .Once we get into comfort zones it is hard to think outside the box.Once we get used to living a certain way,doing the same things over and over and adapting to routines that we know are not helping or growing us ,we get stuck in a rut.Fear of the unknown drives us insane and by the time we realize it,we have lost our prime years.Take the bold move to say enough is enough and be ready to fall again and again,eventually you will have made a big difference in your life and those around you.

  5. I AM EMPLOYED WITH A NATIONAL HOSPITAL WITH OVER17 YEARS OF EXPERIENCE AND IT LOOKS LIKE I AM STUCK NO ADVANCEMENT AND I NORMALLY EXPERIENCE FINANCIAL CONSTRAINTS I FEEL LIKE RESIGNING BUT I DON’T KNOW WHAT TO DO.
    DONE A MASTERS DEGREE COMPLETED COURSEWORK BUT NOW TO FINANCE THE COURSE IS BECOMING AN ISSUE.
    PLEASE KINDLY ASSIST CAN I RESIGN AND DO OTHER THINGS OR WHAT CAN I DO I AM AT CROSS ROADS.

  6. This is on point.I completely agree. I feel bored in my job.It has become monotonous and routine.I applied for so many jobs last year so this year I quit applying for jobs and instead opted to go back to school for a post graduate.At some point I tried to get a career coach turns out getting one in Nakuru is hard.

  8. Very true Perminus you are doing a wonderful job.
    I would blame this on HR departments, they should take an wholesome active role in ensuring that man power is well motivated by conducting job appraisals, evaluation and any promise offered to staff out of these evaluation should be kept. Unhappy staff will not deliver heartfelt great service to client in any way it will be a fake one and just work to earn salary which is a dangerous path for innovation and manpower development.

  9. Thank you Perminus for this article, I agree 150% on this point ‘More importantly avoid distractions such as constantly checking your whatsapp, facebook, chit chat with your colleagues, extending your lunch break etc.”

    It also takes a lot of discipline to keep off the distractions, you know I always wonder how some people could be seriously at work and at that working hour is when most of their posts go up on facebook – and the posting is not work related it is either a party photo, wedding photo etc.

  10. Indeed,this is a plain truth that many workers encounter all these factors on daily basic ….though am a job seeker but when situation persist either direct or indirect you have to find an alternative like … starting your own business in order to avoid the above mentioned factor……good one #Perminus wainaina

  11. Dennis, True that i was a banker.

    And sometimes the only way out is to get out. Workload is a standard and crazy downsizing that leaves everyone overwhelmed and no one to delegate to. Prioritizing doesn’t help much since some duties have to be done before you leave, in a particular order and unfortunately you cannot walk away from them.
    After 10+ years at it i walked out physically sick and mentally burnt out. As
    they say “Remember there are other more important things in life that count more than your job such as your health, mental, physical and emotional well-being and family.”

    Also to note, we need the money and sometimes it makes us stick on.

  12. eric
    my advice is ask to be facilitated with transport and allowances. Alternatively, quit that shitty job

  15. I have been stuck in same position for 6 years and boy it can be boring. I don’t feel motivated anymore given that its an auditing kind of job, year in year out you expect to raise the same issues. Just looking for a new environment.

  16. the above mentioned are the most challenges people do face at their work place including me.

  17. thanks for the advice,but sometimes u can not manage time, in an example am supposed to work 8hrs in a day after that i go to my farmily during the night u be called to your working station of which u will not be facilitated with transport nor allowances n the following morning u supposed to report at 8 what can u advice on that

Comments are closed.