TO EACH THEIR OWN, RIGHT?

Which Is The Most Stressful Job In The World? 10 Nerve-Wracking Jobs.


Published on July 25, 2024


Image: Christian Erfurt

Some of the jobs on this list are pretty obvious. Fighting fire amid screams and people in mortal danger is a spectacularly stressful situation, even for someone who does it for a living. But some others might come as a bit of a surprise, that is, for the people who are not directly involved in such occupations.

Whether you are coordinating commercial air flights, drunken crowds, or unruly children, whether you are saving someone’s life or closing an important business deal, there is always plenty of stress to go around. Take a look at the following ten gigs and make up your mind as to which of these would be the most stressful for you.

1

Registered nurse

Image: JESHOOTS.COM

With heavy responsibilities that involve other people’s lives in a very direct way, nurses collaborate with other health professionals to treat diseases and promote their patients' health and well-being.

Their responsibilities include administering medicine, monitoring patients, assisting with lab tests, and organizing patient files. They often have to be on their feet for long hours, with intense schedules, as hospitals may require them to come in on short notice.

2

Teachers

Image: Taylor Flowe

Working well outside school hours, grading papers, going over curricula, dealing with undisciplined kids, dealing with undisciplined kids’s parents, and a thousand more chores are the daily routine of a teacher that, let’s face it, will never get rich by doing her/his job.

The huge responsibility that involves taking care of other people’s children and doing one’s best to impart valuable lessons and education to an audience that is usually apathetic at best makes the role of a teacher, a very stressful and demanding one.

3

Event manager

Image: CHUTTERSNAP

One would be forgiven to think that a job that entails being around happy situations all the time, is quite a joyous experience. But the truth is that being an event planner and coordinator is nothing short of a stressful endeavor.

Imagine having to coordinate and choreograph the multiple aspects and actors of a one-time event that must turn out perfect or otherwise your reputation will suffer greatly. And this must be accomplished while dealing with unforeseen situations and let’s face it, demanding and often drunk people. In a nutshell, that is the daily bread of event planning and coordination.

4

Social worker

Image: Georg Arthur Pflueger

Encouraging social development and assisting the most disadvantaged members of society can be a very satisfying occupation. Social workers focus on prominent social issues like homelessness, addiction, and abuse. But this often entails working with people in difficult situations that can be dangerous.

We never know how people who are dealing with extremely stressful situations will react and that is the very core of a social worker's daily duties. Much like a police officer, a social worker often encounters individuals who are going through the worst time of their lives and she/he has to deal with these people calmly and soothingly. This requires a huge amount of patience and the ability to cope with stress, without showing it.

5

Air traffic controller

Image: Grant Beirute

Juggling with the lives of hundreds of passengers and crews who are, literally, in the air, might sound a bit poetic -sort of- but it is a pretty accurate description of an air traffic controller’s job.

This profession entails coordinating landings and takeoffs, incoming and outgoing air traffic, and checking on the status of every single aircraft in their area of operation. If this doesn’t sound like an incredibly stressful job to you, then you might have worked in one of the last positions on this list.

6

Business operations manager

Image: Vasilis Caravitis

Dealing with other people’s money can be quite stressful. Managing all the business operations, setting organizational goals, and managing budgets for huge companies with huge pockets is certainly a very stressful job.

Bad decisions can end up in massive losses and layoffs with devastating consequences. All of these are usually the responsibility of a single manager who struggles to meet deadlines and financial goals while maintaining the team’s morale and dealing with personal situations and unforeseen situations.

7

Anesthesiologist

Image: engin akyurt

Picture having to administer a potent chemical to a human being in a dose so precise that, if done wrong, could have fatal consequences. An anesthesiologist is a health care professional who monitors patient health during a procedure, adjusting the amount of anesthetic to relieve pain.

While relieving pain can be a satisfying job, the need for precision and constant vigilance, along with the potential for severe complications and the unpredictability of patient responses, makes this a very stressful job.

8

Paramedic

Image: camilo jimenez

If your daily routine entails being the first responder in a dramatic emergency we can safely assume that stress is a trusty companion, albeit, not a pleasant one. Paramedics are highly trained professionals who assess, treat, and transport patients who need urgent medical attention. Sure, this can be a rewarding job but it is very mentally and physically taxing.

Paramedics often operate in dangerous, high-pressure environments where split-second decisions can mean life or death. The threat of violence combined with witnessing trauma daily contributes to extremely high rates of stress, depression, and anxiety among first responders.

9

Police officer

Image: Fred Moon

Possibly very few jobs involve dealing with such a huge variety of life-threatening situations as police work does. The whole spectrum of human reactions and emotions is a real chance when the duty calls.

Police officers go on regular patrols, apprehend criminals, respond to emergency calls, and investigate crimes. They regularly engage violent people in dangerous and volatile situations. Sometimes, their duties require the use of lethal force to contain threats, making the role physically, mentally, and emotionally demanding.

10

Firefighter

Image: Jay Heike

This one should come as no surprise. When your daily job is almost every other person’s worst nightmare, stress is a thing you learn to live and cope with. Dealing with life and death situations, all while in a flaming inferno, is not an occupation suited for the faint of heart.

Saying that this is a vocational calling is falling short of the truth. Firefighters respond to emergencies involving fires, hazardous materials, and other disasters, all for a not-so-great paycheck. Talk about stress for the sake of it.


Awkward words ahead

Did you fartlek today? 12 words that sound funny but are serious


Published on July 25, 2024


Image: Piotr Łaskawski

We all know it: some words just sound ridiculous, but they mean business. If you have ever come across a term like "gobbledygook" or "kerfuffle" and wondered if someone made it up, you're not alone. Let us take a look at 12 of these magnificent words that seem unreal, but are not.

1

Firkin

Image: Ellienore Bradley

It does remind us of a dirty word, but it’s not. A firkin is, in fact, an ancient English word that refers to a small tub or a vessel of sorts.

Traditionally, it held ale or butter, sized at about a quarter of a barrel, making it handy for transport. Breweries still sometimes use firkins today for cask-conditioned beers, keeping the word alive in pub culture.

2

Godwottery

Image: baona

Many terms that today sound funny or even rude are, in fact, outdated words and idioms that fell out of use. Godwottery is one of these, and it can be used to describe overly decorated or elaborate speeches.

The word comes from the name of English poet George Gascoigne’s fictional gardener, "Godwot," linked to the overly ornate style of gardening. By extension, it entered English in the 19th century to label pretentious language.

3

Spondulicks

Image: Giorgio Trovato

What sounds like a teenager's expression of approval is, in fact, an 18th-century word for cash. It often appeared in casual speech and newspapers to mean ready funds.

Though it has fallen out of everyday use, it still pops up in literature or nostalgic writing to add a colorful touch to talk about money.

4

Fartlek

Image: Alex McCarthy

Fartlek may sound like a joke, but it’s a serious workout technique. It comes from Swedish and means "speed play."

This type of endurance training involves alternating between jogging and sprinting. Despite the silly name, it’s used by athletes to improve speed and stamina.

5

Popple

Image: Barth Bailey

Popple means choppy or rough seas, and, in an onomatopoeic sense, it sounds just like what it describes.

Its origin lies in Middle English, linked to the verb popelen, meaning to bubble or boil. And, though it is less common in modern English, it does survive in regional usage and poetry, evoking the lively surface of wind-stirred water.

6

Impignorate

Image: Tierra Mallorca

Impignorate is a fancy old word that means to pawn or mortgage an item. It’s rarely used today, but it once described the act of offering something valuable as a loan guarantee.

The term comes from the Latin impignorare, formed from in- plus pignus, meaning pledge. First recorded in the 16th century, it was used in legal and financial contexts.

7

Buttress

Image: Chris Boyer

Any word that starts with "butt" is prone to appear on this list. In this case, a buttress is a support structure that helps keep walls or buildings stable.

You’ll often spot them on Gothic-style churches, castles, and cathedrals, adding both strength and style.

8

Biblioklept

Image: Thought Catalog

While it sounds like a tricky tongue twister, and it definitely could be one, "biblioklept" is in fact the word for someone who steals books.

The word comes from the Greek roots biblio- meaning "book" and kleptes meaning "thief." It appeared in English in the 19th century, reflecting a period when Greek and Latin roots were often combined to coin precise or scholarly terms.

9

Spleenwort

Image: Mykyta Martynenko

If the term spleenwort sounds more like a medical problem than a plant to you, you are not alone. Does it refer to something or someone worthy of spleen?

In fact, the word spleenwort is the name of a small evergreen fern found in rocky areas and forests.

10

Penuche

Image: Phil Hearing

Never heard of penuche? If you’re not a baker, that’s pretty normal. A penuche is a type of fudge made with brown sugar, buttercream, and usually some nuts.

It’s a traditional sweet found in New England and parts of the American South, where it remains a nostalgic treat. It sounds more sophisticated than it is!

11

Slumgullion

Image: DUSAN ZIDAR

Again, it’s not an old-fashioned insult. Slumgullion is a strange-sounding word for a simple, cheap meat stew. It’s one of those food terms that doesn’t exactly make your mouth water, despite its hearty roots.

It was common among miners, loggers, and working folks who needed filling meals with whatever was on hand. It might not look or sound great, but it definitely gets the job done!

12

Shalloon

Image: Artsy Vibes

A shalloon might sound like the word saloon, pronounced by someone with a speech impediment. But it’s not. Shalloon is a lightweight, twilled wool fabric once used in clothing and linings. Unless you're into textiles or fashion history, you’ve probably never needed the word.

The word comes from Châlons-sur-Marne in France, where the fabric was originally produced. The English form "shalloon" emerged in the 1600s, reflecting the common practice of naming textiles after their place of origin.

Looking for an extra scoop of literary fun?

Learn more with our Word of the day

tame

/teɪm/