If so, the stress of being in charge may prevent your immune system from fighting respiratory infections, according to a study published in the April issue of the Journal of Applied Psychology .
Immune function is weaker when people are in a bad mood.
One of the perks of climbing up the job ladder is having more control over how and when you'll get the job done, and supervising more employees to whom you can delegate some of the work. That's fine if you believe in your own abilities and are realistic about setbacks caused by circumstances beyond your control. But for workers lacking self-confidence and shouldering the blame for failures, greater job responsibilities cause more stress, explains researcher John Schaubroeck, PhD, a professor and head of management at LeBow College of Business at Drexel University in Philadelphia. For workers to feel in control when they have many choices about how to do their work, they have to believe that they can use that control effectively. As psychological stress interferes with the body's own immune defense mechanisms, increased job demands in those who feel inadequate to handle them may translate into more colds, flu, and other infections.