Here are other low-stress job opportunities and ideas for someone with anxiety: Fitness trainer. Massage therapist. Video editor. Dog / cat / pet groomer.
Anxiety is a debilitating mental health disorder that affects nearly 20% of the adult US population. In fact, globally it’s one of the most common psychological conditions that people struggle with.
People who suffer from anxiety may have difficulty completing daily tasks, among other things. Even the easiest and smallest of situations can become stress-inducing and cause anywhere from mild to severe anxiety symptoms. That includes work, making it difficult for anxious people to find a job which meets their low-stress requirements.
The good news is that if you do suffer from anxiety, there are plenty of jobs out there that provide a low-stress work environment while also earning good money. Let’s take a look at a few of the best jobs for people with anxiety below!
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Keep Calm and Work: What is Anxiety Disorder?
Before we dive into the best jobs for people with anxiety, let’s take a look at what anxiety disorder actually is. Anxiety disorder is a mental health condition that’s characterized by excessive or lasting worry. These worries interfere with a person’s daily life.
There are several main types of anxiety disorders. Each disorder comes with additional symptoms but remains a struggle with excessive worry or fear that interferes with a person’s life.
Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder (OCD)
OCD, or obsessive-compulsive disorder, is a type of anxiety disorder in which a person has unwanted and obsessive thoughts paired with compulsive behaviors. A person will perform ritual acts, such as hand washing, to relieve the anxiety caused by their obsessive thoughts.
Panic Attack Disorder
People who suffer from panic attack disorder (or just “panic disorder”) are affected by sudden and repeated episodes of intense fear. These usually involve a racing heart, sweating, dizziness, shortness of breath, and other physical symptoms.
Social anxiety disorder, or SAD, is a type of social phobia that’s marked by overwhelming stress and self-consciousness around others. With a social anxiety disorder, the anxiety is so intense that a person cannot interact with people during their daily lives without feeling some anxiety.
Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD)
PTSD, or Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder, is a type of anxiety disorder that develops after a person goes through a traumatic event. This disorder is most commonly associated with military veterans who’ve seen combat, but it can happen to anybody due to terrifying situations. For example, victims of sexual or physical assault may experience PTSD and other mental health issues.
Best Low-Stress Jobs for People With Anxiety
So, now we understand anxiety disorders a bit better and what makes them different from simply feeling anxious.
Let’s take a look at a few different career options and jobs that people who struggle with anxiety can perform.
1. Groundskeeper or Maintenance Worker
Becoming a groundskeeper is one of the best jobs for people with social anxiety because it involves fairly limited human interaction. For most of the day, you’ll be working on your own to take care of the gardens or outdoor spaces at a museum or large home. And, even when you work around people, say for community college employees, you don’t really need to interact with them on a daily basis.
Groundskeepers trim hedges, keep paths clean, and care for the plants and trees on the grounds of large buildings or campuses. It sometimes involves long days spent in the sun, making it ideal for people who love being outside.
Not only is this a soothing environment to work in that involves little human interaction, but you also don’t need a degree to perform this job. As long as you’ve completed high school, you’re typically able to get a job as a groundskeeper or maintenance worker. This minimal-anxiety gig could earn you as $30,000 a year and up, especially at better-funded institutions, like universities and community colleges.
2. Librarian
If you love quiet, soothing spaces, there are few locations that compare with the peace and quiet of a library. In fact, in libraries, loud talking is discouraged so that people have a quiet space to read, study, and work.
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As a librarian, you’ll help people check books in and out of the library. You will also assist with cataloging and organizing the books in the library, managing returns and book requests, and sometimes organizing small events, like book clubs or children’s readings.
You will need to get a college degree in order to become a librarian. However, once you have your degree, you can expect to earn upwards of $50,000 for your peaceful and stress-free career as a professional bookworm.
3. Graphic Designer
For people who are more creative, becoming a graphic designer can be a great choice. This job involves little human interaction and focuses on using software to create logos, graphics, promotions, webpages, and other marketing materials. Definitely a great job for someone with social anxiety!
While you typically need a degree for this job as a career, it’s not necessarily required, particularly if you go the flex jobs way and do contract or freelance work. Some employers will consider candidates as long as they have a strong portfolio of work.
From there, they can start a successful career and earn as much as $52,000 a year. Plus, this is one of the jobs of the future that is likely to keep seeing growth and opportunity even as other, more stressful jobs are made redundant due to technology.
4. Computer Programmer
As technology advances, so does the need for people who understand how to use and program it. That makes the demand for computer programmers and technical support agents critical.
A computer programmer spends most of their day writing and maintaining code. They also need to check in on current systems and programs to make sure that everything is running correctly.
You can choose to study computer programming at a university or to use online courses to obtain certifications. Once you’ve landed a computer programming job, you can expect to earn roughly $87,000 a year, meaning that if earning a good salary is one of your anxiety triggers, this tech job will certainly ease your mind!
5. Writer
One of the more popular jobs at the moment is becoming a writer. This is because it can typically be done remotely, giving you the opportunity to travel while you work, if the digital nomad lifestyle is something you’re interested in.
You can choose to either become a writer that creates blogs and online content, or you can explore your creative side and write novels. You could do technical writing, go the journalism route, or become a ghostwriter. In many cases, writing is often a career with plenty of peace and quiet, low levels of work stress, and without much interruption from other people.
As a writer, you can earn as much as $60,000 a year, making it a more profitable career choice. And, while you may benefit from a university degree, it’s probably not required in order to get started. Finally, if you feel more creative after the sun goes down, writing makes great night shift jobs!
6. Accountant
Accountants are really only required to have minimal interaction with coworkers and clients. They’ll spend much of their day working independently in their office, doing their tax, number-crunching, and bookkeeping jobs. A typical day in the life of an accountant involves reconciling records, researching transactions, and completing calculations.
You can choose to either simply complete your bachelor’s degree or you can take several exams and become a CPA, or a certified public accountant. The average salary for an accountant is around $72,000 per year, with more for certification.
For people with anxiety, especially those with social anxiety, an accounting job may be a good choice because you don’t need to interact with many people. Even when you do have to interact with others, it’s typically in a limited capacity. However, consider each accounting job and every specific bookkeeping job application process thoroughly, as you could end up with a high-stress job that tests the limits of your heart rate and patience if you’re not careful!
7. Plumber
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If you’re wanting a low-stress job that really leaves you alone with your thoughts, becoming a plumber is a good choice. Plumbers often don’t have to worry about working with other coworkers, and they won’t typically have clients who want to hang out and chat with them while they work.
This makes being a plumber quite a popular career choice for those looking at great jobs for introverts, the socially anxious, and those with generalized anxiety disorders (GAD). When you do work with team members, your team is usually quite small.
Becoming a plumber involves attending either a trade school after earning a high school diploma or completing an apprenticeship with on-the-job training, but usually no bachelor’s degree. Either way, once you’re trained and ready to get to work, this low-stress job can net you a salary of around $55,000 a year.
8. Data Entry Specialist
One of the least stressful jobs that people can take is becoming a data entry specialist. Data entry specialists take information from one location and put it into an organized computer database.
The work can be a bit tedious and monotonous, but it can be an extremely rewarding job once it’s completed. On top of that, data entry specialists work alone and in low-stress, quiet rooms.
You usually don’t need any kind of college degree to get started as a data entry specialist. As long as you have a high school diploma, you can start out earning $34,000 a year, with an even higher salary for those who’ve earned a bachelor’s degree or some kind of specialized certification.
9. Other Great Low-Stress Jobs for People With Anxiety
Here are other low-stress job opportunities and ideas for someone with anxiety:
Fitness trainer
Massage therapist
Video editor
Dog / cat / pet groomer
Mobile app developer
Social media manager
Book store assistant / book store cashier
Freelance editor
Blog manager
Interior decorator or landscape designer
Dog / cat / animal trainer
Software developer / software engineer
Remote IT specialist
Plant nursery attendant
Store or warehouse stocking jobs
School bus driver
Restaurant or fast food preparation worker
National park or forest ranger
Pharmacy technician
Web developer
Medical proofreader transcriptionist
Depending on your chosen career path, your college education requirements may vary; some jobs we’ve listed may require a master’s degree, while others might only require a high school diploma or certificate programs.
Apply for One of the Best Jobs for People With Anxiety
Remember, this isn’t an exhaustive list, and there may be other jobs that work for you. You also need to consider where you are professionally, like whether you’re looking for entry-level jobs or jobs for those with extensive experience.
What’s more, with mental health counseling and medication, you can live a normal life. While these jobs may still be a good fit, with the right care and treatment, anything is possible when you put your mind to it.
If you struggle with anxiety and have been looking for a job that can support you, hopefully this list of the best jobs for people with anxiety helps. Apply for any one of these jobs above with the peace of mind that it won’t massively interfere with your mental health or cause you unnecessary stress.
Want more career tips and advice for improving your work, life, and work-life balance? Be sure to check out the rest of our articles here on the Goodwall Blog. And, if you have any questions or other great careers for people with stress and anxiety, let us know below in the comments!
Related Read: Best LinkedIn Profile Tips & Advice to Stand Out as a Job Candidate
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