Over the past few years, there was talk about a divorce tsunami that was right around the corner. It was believed that these trying times would lead many to call it quits, but that appears to be largely hyperbole; however, the United States still sees about a 50% divorce rate. However, one divorce topic that has gained traction is how your career can affect your marriage and divorce rates generally.
How?
Think about the amount of time you spend away from your family, sleeping, commuting and in the office. And, if you take any personal care time during the week, you may only have a few hours a day to spend with your family. On the weekends, if your kids have activities, you have weekend projects or other activities, you may have even less time with your kids. This means that what you choose to do from 9 to 5 can have a huge impact on your marriage because it affects both the amount of time you have with your family and what you bring home to them (mental state and stress).
Stressful jobs
Stressful jobs are not just stressful on you, they also stress out your family too. How? Because you likely bring that stress home in how you interact with your family. Plus, if your job is dangerous, that is a stressor on your family just as much as it is a stressor on you.
Worrying about whether a parent or spouse will make it home alive every day is extremely stressful, and it can impact everyone’s quality of life. It is just one of the reasons why we say, “thank you for your service,” to military families as well as servicemembers.
Highest divorce rates
By far, the highest rates of divorce exist within the ranks of active military personnel. Specifically, first-line enlisted military supervisors have the highest divorce rates. However, they are followed by other military personnel and other blue-collar workers, like technicians, mechanics, laborers, etc.
The takeaways
The key takeaways for our Gulfport, Mississippi, readers is not that they should switch jobs immediately. Instead, it is to think about how you spend your time both away and with your family. Think about how that time away from your family affects your family, and if it does, how you can mitigate those affects. After all, if you forget about maintaining your marriage, you may lose it.