I HATE MY JOB
How many of us go to work, go through the motions, feel as though you’re having little to no impact, have minimal control over your work, feel you have limited opportunities for growth, feel like you’re holding on until the end of the day, the end of the week, then numb it all away with your drug of choice… alcohol, social scrolling, gaming, pain meds, online shopping, Netflixing… until Monday comes back around, and we start the cycle over again.
Disconnection from meaningful work is having a huge impact on our mental health, and so many of us don’t even realise it.
We do dream of throwing it all away and taking up our dream job; opening a vegan cafe, saving orangutans, becoming a fireman. But we are crippled with fear. The fear of losing our income, losing our stability. Or not being able to obtain or keep the things we think we need and will make us happy. You know; the car, the new jacket, the house, the things that give us status, the things others have that we don’t. The things that our over-advertised, over-branded world has drilled into us from the age of 2, convincing us will bring true happiness.
And I know, you say you don’t care about those things… but you do. You’re envious of those Insta “successful” people, you’re envious of those kids that make their first million by the age of 21, you’re envious of your friend with the nice car. We can’t help it, our world has just been built this way. Every billboard, every ad, every airbrushed arse, tells us we will be happier if we had x. Once we get x, we will be happy.
So we don’t do it. Instead, we stay in our dead end job. Our sadness builds, loneliness builds, depression deepens, relationships suffer, waistline expands.
I feel that so many of us don’t realise how much of an impact this type of disconnection is having on our mental health. To be a part of something meaningful, both selfishly and for the satisfaction of having an impact on something bigger and more meaningful than ourselves, gives us a sense of purpose, pride, usefulness and accomplishment. To be disconnected from that can leave us feeling useless, lonely, hopeless, unworthy, unable and invisible.
The joy of achieving and experiencing things that fuel our internal values and motivators undoubtedly trump any joy gained from any materialistic gain. Think about your new car or your new jacket or your new iPhone. Of course it gave you joy when you received it. It’s new and exciting! It gives you joy, but does it give you happiness? Does is solve your darkest problems? Or does it just numb them… for now?
I was just talking to Court about this while driving in her nice new car. We agreed, her nice new car is nice. It is fun to drive. It feels special. But it doesn’t make her happier as a person. It doesn’t solve her problems. It doesn’t cure her occasional anxiety or her ongoing fibromyalgia. It doesn’t fix an argument the moment she hops in and slams down the accelerator. If she had abandonment issues or social anxiety or ongoing trauma from past abuse, it wouldn’t contribute in the slightest way to help fix any of those problems. Yet we desire these things hoping they will be the answer. Well I’m sorry, but it just won’t.
What would help would be the quality time spent together in the car. Chatting, having meaningful conversations, sharing laughs, making each other feel special and worthy and loved. Our time spent together in the fancy car serves our intrinsic values, but that could be achieved in any old car. The car is irrelevant.
Disconnection from meaningful work and disconnection from intrinsic values are crippling so many of us. Don’t be afraid to make a change towards doing something that you truly love. The mental, emotional and physical benefits of feeling useful, purposeful and connected to what you do will have significant impact on your life. You just need to let go and do it.
So… go on, do it, I dare you to be happier.
Stu.
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