The Doctor is Sick
April 27, 2022
Work and Resilience: Doable
May 11, 2022
This post is the first in a series on how your work, paid or unpaid, affects your resilience.
In what ways does your work contribute to or detract from your resilience?
Work is generally the job or tasks you do to earn income. You may have an employer and an assigned job or you may be self-employed and have a series of projects or tasks. Both involve agreements – you will do that thing for this money (and possibly other benefits). In other cases, your work may be unpaid as in volunteer positions or family tasks. Whatever your situation, work is about much more than a paycheck.
Resilience is both the ability to overcome bad things and the ability to continue to function well during difficult times – both at home and on the job.
Work has a huge impact on your capacity for resilience. It can tear you down, wear you out, and leave you exhausted, making it harder to cope with day-to-day life. It can also connect you with others, provide structure and meaning, and give you opportunities to learn. It provides income and benefits that allow you to care for yourself and others. It is a part of your personal and social identity. You spend a lot of your time and energy on work. How is it impacting your ability to be resilient?
This blog series, “Resilience and Work,” will provide a framework to explore ways your work contributes or detracts from your ability to cope with the ups and downs of life.
Some factors we will explore:
- How doable is your job?
- What is the nature of your work connections?
- What is the balance between autonomy and direction?
- How does work impact your sense of meaning?
Considering these factors allows you to assess work from different angles. From there, you can enhance those aspects that are helpful or create change where needed. Being aware provides you the opportunity to live your life more intentionally.
Be sure to share this with others and sign up for our emails. At the end of this series, we will send out an invitation to join a live Zoom conversation about your insights.
Peace,
Laura A. Gaines
