Low-stress employment

[WarKitty]

I am facing a situation where I may possibly need to search for a job in the near future. Likely either summer work, or a job for a year while I get grad school stuff together.

Here's the issue: I have some significant mental health issues. I also respond rather badly to medication. Badly as in do not put me on a new drug unless there are people around to watch me like a hawk and rush me to the ER in an instant because I've suddenly gone psycho.

So here's the current situation. I need to reliably be getting 8 hours of sleep in a night, at the same time. This means I need fixed hours and no mandatory overtime. Unfortunately, the jobs I am aware of are pretty much exclusively in retail, and new hires are expected to have flexible schedules. Other than that, I'm not really great at working with people for 8 hours a day. It *might* be doable, but at my last job I was known on occasion to retreat to the restroom and just cry for 5-10 minutes after a difficult customer.

I should hopefully have my BA in philosophy by the time this comes up. Not exactly a great career-prepping degree, but it's something.

[Spiryt]

Handing them leaflets to the people?

Kinda sucky, and not well paid, I know, but AFAIK not too much stress involved as long as you don't try to cheat and throw them to the bins around?

[WarKitty]

Handing them leaflets to the people?

Kinda sucky, and not well paid, I know, but AFAIK not too much stress involved as long as you don't try to cheat and throw them to the bins around?

I am quite happy with minimum wage. :smalltongue:

[Kobold-Bard]

Call centre? If you can get one that isn't quota driven (eg. I work phoning people to do surveys) then it's nice and easy.

We're told in training that after offering to pass them on to our supervisor we're to simply hang up on people if they get moody, so stress is low.

[RabbitHoleLost]

Call centre? If you can get one that isn't quota driven (eg. I work phoning people to do surveys) then it's nice and easy.

We're told in training that after offering to pass them on to our supervisor we're to simply hang up on people if they get moody, so stress is low.

All of my experiences with call centres are extremely stressful.

Warkitty, the least stressful entry level job I can think of is maybe a host/ess at a restaurant? I mean, you seat people. Maybe get them their first drink, if the servers are busy.
My sister has super anxiety issues, and she's a hostess at On The Border.
She seems to be doing well, even. Its a minimum wage job, usually, but it doesn't really require much effort, so...

[Kobold-Bard]

All of my experiences with call centres are extremely stressful.

...

If its sales I can believe that. My wage isn't based on success though, so maybe that's why mine isn't so stressy.

[Da Beast]

If you're a strong swimmer life guard might be a good fit. Most pools have consistent hours, you don't have to take crap from the customers and your coworkers are trained in first aid and know to contact emergency personnel for medical issues.

[RabbitHoleLost]

If its sales I can believe that. My wage isn't based on success though, so maybe that's why mine isn't so stressy.

Customer service and trouble shooting.
Not personally, mind you, but some of my close friends.

[Spiryt]

If you're a strong swimmer life guard might be a good fit. Most pools have consistent hours, you don't have to take crap from the customers and your coworkers are trained in first aid and know to contact emergency personnel for medical issues.

Hmmm... Low stress?

Aren't you, like responsible for talking drowning people out of the water, enforcing the lack of littering and stuff? :smallconfused:

[Mando Knight]

Hmmm... Low stress?

Aren't you, like responsible for talking drowning people out of the water, enforcing the lack of littering and stuff? :smallconfused:
It's not like you're going to have to save five people in four minutes every hour each day. Most of the time, a lifeguard at a pool probably doesn't have to do much at all. I've certainly never personally seen a lifeguard need to do anything.

[RabbitHoleLost]

It's not like you're going to have to save five people in four minutes every hour each day. Most of the time, a lifeguard at a pool probably doesn't have to do much at all. I've certainly never personally seen a lifeguard need to do anything.

The most I've ever seen a pool lifeguard do is tell kids to stop running.

[Spiryt]

It's not like you're going to have to save five people in four minutes every hour each day. Most of the time, a lifeguard at a pool probably doesn't have to do much at all. I've certainly never personally seen a lifeguard need to do anything.

Well, most I've seen doing is taking a ball away from us, because we spread chaos, but still possibility of having to do something is there. :smallwink:

Don't you have to pass some athletic tests still, anyway to be hired?

[WarKitty]

Lemme just say my swimming skills are a small step above doggy paddle.

[KenderWizard]

You have to be a very strong swimmer and you have to have first aid and other training, but when you're actually working, you sit and watch people swim. My boyfriend was a lifeguard for 4 or 5 years at two pools, and there was one emergency in all that time, and it was some old guy fainting and hitting his head.

Actually, on reflection, my boyfriend also got injured, but he wasn't on duty at the time, so... That's still only two emergencies, anyway!

I don't have any suggestions... Maybe something in an office? Low-level sorting and filing and stuff? Offices work 9-5, talking to people isn't mandatory, and it's pretty low-stress if you're not really easily bored. You might need a contact to get a place, though.

Edit: Never mind that lifeguard stuff, then!

[Marnath]

The most I've seen a lifeguard do is perform first aid on a kid with a cracked skull because he landed beside the pool instead of in it. I'm going to go ahead and assume that was stressful.

[Kobold-Bard]

The most I've seen a lifeguard do is perform first aid on a kid with a cracked skull because he landed beside the pool instead of in it. I'm going to go ahead and assume that was stressful.

Similar situation, one friend dived in and landed head to head with another lad who had just surfaced. Each lost a couple of teeth and the lifeguards nearly died laughing. They seemed like the least stressed people in the world, and that was probably the most interesting thing that happened to them that week.

Not that this helps WK. Job putting takeaway menus through letter boxes? Stick some headphones in and let the time fly.

[SurlySeraph]

Courier or deliveryperson? Might get some people yelling at you, but usually fine.

You're at college, so there should be a lot of university-related jobs available. Ask your professors if they need a research assistant. A lot of universities have job databases you can use. If you have any science background at all, you can probably get some lab work. Often you can participate in studies for money. A lot of universities will hire students as part-time maintenance staff, cleaning dorms and such. Working as a librarian or library volunteer is incredibly-low-stress and can be very enjoyable; it's what I'm doing currently.

[Moff Chumley]

Similar situation, one friend dived in and landed head to head with another lad who had just surfaced. Each lost a couple of teeth and the lifeguards nearly died laughing. They seemed like the least stressed people in the world, and that was probably the most interesting thing that happened to them that week.

Not that this helps WK. Job putting takeaway menus through letter boxes? Stick some headphones in and let the time fly.

Why can't I find a job like that? *mumblegrumble*

[pffh]

To bad about your swimming skills because being a lifeguard is the most relaxing job I've ever done. I spent 5 summers as a life guard and I rescued a total of 2 people and fished out 1 corpse (the pool was popular with the old folks and when you're 90 something at stand up quickly in the hot tubs your blood pressure can drop so low that you die and now you just look like you're resting in the tub).
Other then that it was just sitting and watching people swim while occasionally yelling at some kids.

Oh and stopping people from having sex in the sauna/tubs/pool because appearantly cameras don't stop horny people, high pressure water hoses do :smallwink:

But yeah a friend of mine used to do those call survey thingies and according to him that fairly low stress.

[Moff Chumley]

I gotta imagine fishing a dead old guy out of a hot tub has to be rather intense, though... :smalleek:

[Kobold-Bard]

I gotta imagine fishing a dead old guy out of a hot tub has to be rather intense, though... :smalleek:

Agreed. That sounds decidedly low stress to me.

[pffh]

I gotta imagine fishing a dead old guy out of a hot tub has to be rather intense, though... :smalleek:

Not really. Push alarm, get guy out of the pool, by now the pool has been closed and a perimeter has been established and an ambulance has been called, I start CPR, someone brings me defibrilator, medics get there, we are informed he has been dead for some time, therapist talks to us, pools opens again.

It all happens so fast you don´t really have time to get stressed.

You get much more stressed when saving someone because after the medics have taken the patient away you keep wondering if you did something wrong that might endanger his life.

[snoopy13a]

The best job would be to try and find a part-time and/or full-time summer job at your college's library. Libraries need circulation desk people and it is a fairly low stress job. File clerk is another low-stress job. A night janitor is also low stress but that might not appeal to you.

[Winter_Wolf]

Low stress an unlikely to interact with a lot of people job: janitor/custodian. Catch is that it's mostly 3rd shift/night work. But honestly if you have reliable transportation or don't have far to go, it's a fine thing. Also, in my experience, cleaning doesn't require a huge amount of brain power, so you're free to think about other things while your hands go about their business. Other jobs like this include: scanning documents with an industrial scanner (just make sure you regularly get the crud off the rollers with isopropyl alcohol!); data entry prep (if you're good at math).

Honestly anything else I can think of is high stress, such as retail or basically any kind of customer service role, which incidentally usually pays worse than janitorial roles. I'd also rule out any kind of light industrial work, because it's basically guaranteed mandatory overtime (you will find that some people will purposely sabotage work to ensure overtime:smallfurious:).

[thorgrim29]

You could coach debate teams with a Philosophy BA. You could try and see if local summer schools need lecturers... That's pretty much it for field related jobs I can think of, I've no doubt Philosophy is fun and enlightening and all, but it's not the most useful of degrees.

Other then that, if your psychological problems don't mean it's impossible, a janitorial position in a mall or school might do it, as WW said it's low stress, relatively easy, and it pays better then the service jobs. Hell my brother is a part time janitor and he makes almost as much as I do for a paid internship with 4 classes to go for a business accounting degree, but then again interns tend to be woefully underpaid for the work they do.

If your college has summer classes you could do some work for a teacher, you know, grade papers, be a TA, research assistant, that sort of thing. On campus retail jobs are also a possibility.

[The Vorpal Tribble]

Dude, I don't know where you're located, but frankly if you can even consider being picky at a job right now you're blessed.

Most folks consider themselves lucky to flip burgers in my state.

All I can say is if you don't want stress, anything having to do with cable/satellite TV installation you avoid like the PLAGUE. I'm not talking anything wussy like some Bubonic/Ebola hybrid from Hell, I'm talking zombie apocalypse type avoidance.

[WarKitty]

Dude, I don't know where you're located, but frankly if you can even consider being picky at a job right now you're blessed.

No, I'm not really in a position to be picky. Unfortunately I'm in even less of a position to not be picky. Disability stuff sucks that way.

[Serpentine]

Libraries, archives and similar are pretty cruisey. You might get the occasional difficult customer, but you should have plenty of support. If you're only a casual you might not have very regular hours, but (at least around here) council-related jobs are very strict about their opening and closing times so it'll be very clear the range of hours you might get.

[Kjata]

All of my experiences with call centres are extremely stressful.

Warkitty, the least stressful entry level job I can think of is maybe a host/ess at a restaurant? I mean, you seat people. Maybe get them their first drink, if the servers are busy.
My sister has super anxiety issues, and she's a hostess at On The Border.
She seems to be doing well, even. Its a minimum wage job, usually, but it doesn't really require much effort, so...

I've been told by people that I work with that hosting is way more stressful than bussing, because people get impatient and whatnot. Bussing however, is almost stress free. It can get tiring, and it can get stressful because you have to move fast, but if you screw up everybody around you doesn't care/notice because of the fast pace. So while the speed can be stressful, it also hides mistakes :smalltongue:

[KerfuffleMach2]

Bussing should be good. Also, see if you can get a cleaning job somewhere. Like a hotel.

Basically, any job that doesn't keep you in contact with people. Anything that makes you get in contact with customers can get stressful. Even something like truck rentals. Talking from experience on that one.

Stupid people thinking they don't need a license to rent a truck...

[xPANCAKEx]

office admin work can be low stress. As long as you can get on with the work you'll be fine

[drakir_nosslin]

Receptionist? I worked part time as one this summer for an oil company. Basically all I did was sitting in a chair playing online games and checking the playground. Occasionally there was a visitor who I had to sign in, and sometimes there was a phone call. And in the morning I had to say good morning to everyone working there, and in the evenings I had to say good night. That's about it.

However, this was a reception with a separate person for forwarding all calls, so most of the time I didn't have to do that. When I did it got a little more stressful, but still no problem. It just meant that I worked more than 1 out of the 8 I was paid for.

[WarKitty]

Wow, thanks peeps! Lots of good ideas here. I've done cleaning work with no problems before. There's really only two issues I've had come up in the past that I need to avoid. One is, like I said, the hours. I just can't be getting to bed at 10 one day and 12 the next, it won't work. The other...well, when you're interacting with a large number of customers or other people, there's always going to be the one idiot that thinks the fact you have to be polite to him means he's free to do whatever. Usually it's the ones that make creepy sexual remarks that would really set me off - I mean, I know it's not legal to do that, but what are you going to do? You're a fairly new employee and there's no one around to back up your story.