Empower Your Mind: The Career-Identity-Mental Health Intersection

By: Cassie Cain, MS

Have you ever heard the phrase, “You are what you eat”? When I think about how our jobs affect our identity and our mental health, the same phrase comes to mind, but concerning careers. Ask yourself for a moment the following questions: Have you noticed that you spend a lot of your time, even outside of work, thinking about the events of the day? Or maybe you have noticed that your mood is strongly influenced by how your work day went. Or, it could be that you have difficulty winding down after your work day is over, and you can’t stop thinking about all of the responsibilities that you hold, or the tasks that you need to get done.

This is because where we work ties in closely with who we are. We spend so many hours of our lives at work, and this has a huge impact on how we feel about ourselves, our identity, and consequently, our mental health. Continue reading to learn why this is important and different strategies on how to cope when work negatively impacts our mental health.

Why We Identify With Work (& The Benefits and Drawbacks of This)

So often, we tie our employment to who we are. Instead of saying “I work as a nurse” we say “I am a nurse.” And it makes sense, doesn’t it? We spend many hours of our waking lives at work. Additionally, many of us care a lot about what we do, and our work may be used as an expression of our values. We take pride in a job well done, or subsequently, we feel bad about ourselves when we perceive that we have failed in some way. There is nothing inherently good or bad about personally identifying with our careers, but there are positive and negative consequences of doing so.

When it helps us: 

• When we are succeeding at work/living out the goals or dreams we had for ourselves. 
• When our values line up with what we do at work. Tying our job to who we are can give us a great sense of purpose, direction, and meaning. 

When it hurts us:

• When we tie our worth to our performance, or aspects of our jobs that we don’t have control over (like a boss’ opinion of us or a performance review). 
• When we have difficulty setting boundaries at work or feel unable to let go of the stressors that we have at work (like tasks and interactions with co-workers or customers).

Coping Strategies

• Practicing identifying your strengths: “Even though I am bad at getting paperwork in on time, I am so detail-oriented, and I make sure it is done right,” or, “I might not be the best at my job, but I am so good at ______,” (insert what fits for you—being a parent, being a partner, swimming, the violin, etc.)
• Utilizing a growth mindset: Viewing your failures not as inherently negative, but as an opportunity to learn and grow! 
• Self-acceptance: Shifting your inner dialogue from negative or critical to talking to yourself with a kind or even a neutral voice.  (Example: “Okay, so maybe I totally flopped that sales pitch, but everyone makes mistakes and has off days.”
• Externalizing the problems: This has to do with separating yourself from the problem. You can do this by removing yourself from the problem, and using “it” and “the” when thinking or talking about it. Ex: “I am directionless at my job,” might turn into “the lack of direction I’m experiencing…”
• Relaxation techniques: There are SO many of these, but some of my favorites are: deep breathing, grounding techniques like 54321 (Name 5 things you can see, 4 things you can touch, 3 things you can hear, 2 things you can smell, 1 thing you can taste), meditation, taking a walk in nature, taking a bath, etc. Try anything that helps you to wind down.
• Setting boundaries with work:  These are very dependent on your situation and your own preferences. Though I have listed some examples below, ultimately, use what works best for you! The important thing here is to focus on what is in your control.
• Mental boundaries: “I will use my car ride home to think about the events of my day. If I continue to think about work, I will notice it without judgment and let it go,” or, “If I notice myself thinking negatively about my work, I will take a moment to stop and reframe my thought.”
• Physical Boundaries: “If my boss calls me on my day off, I will let it go to voicemail,” or, “I will not check my work email when I am out of the office,” or, “I will take a 30-minute lunch break each shift,” or,  “If a coworker is unkind to me, I will walk away from them.”
• Examining our values:  While there are many ways to do this, my favorite way is to take this free life values assessment by following this link. It is a wonderful tool for gaining more awareness about what you care about. Once you have it, you can use it to reflect on how your values align with your career. It can also be used as a tool to help you find a new career if you decide that it is time for a change.

Lastly, getting help from a mental health professional who specializes in career counseling or career/adjustment issues is another example of a positive step that you can take if you want personalized help learning how to cope or if you want to make a career change, but have no idea where to start. 

Ultimately, our work is often a huge part of who we are and it affects our mental health and overall well-being. This can have both positive and negative consequences on us. There are a number of ways to know when it is time for a change, including when our work has more of a negative impact on our physical and mental health. Some of the ways to deal with this can include finding new work, utilizing coping skills, and seeking out professional help. 

About the Guest Blogger:

Cassie Cain is a recent graduate from the University of North Georgia’s MS in Counseling program. She is a pre-licensed professional who is seeking provisional licensure as an APC, and she provides counseling to individuals aged 13+ and couples. Some of the issues that she is passionate about working with include anxiety, career counseling, college student issues, identity, personality, and values exploration. You can learn more about Cassie by visiting www.cassie-cares.com or by visiting her Psychology Today profile at https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/therapists/cassie-cain-gainesville-ga/1308365 

To discuss how therapy could help you during this season of your life, please contact me or schedule your free 15 minute consultation.

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