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ArticlesHAPPY & HEALTHYBy Wendy Sheather Is Your Life Working?
The Protestant work ethic is on the way out. Today, most people want more from life than to work long hours toiling at something they don't like or are not suited to. They want a career they enjoy and believe in, they want to be able to change jobs as they change and develop themselves, and most don't want to spend a lifetime with the same company. However, many employees feel they are in a rut and are powerless to do anything about it. Career and life counsellor Ian Hutchinson says 88 per cent of people don't have true job satisfaction and 66 per cent can't wait to leave their employer. It's a recipe for anxiety and stress which can lead to a myriad of health problems. "A very basic example might be someone who is very interested in healthy and ethical living, but they might be working for a tobacco company, let's say," says Mr Hutchinson, who runs Life by Design® workshops for creating more fulfilling lives. "Now, their values are going to be in contrast with their company's values. Therefore, they are automatically going to feel stress and anxiety. The first step, says Mr Hutchinson, is to make time to take stock of your future. (So many people don't even get this far!). "Think about who you are and what you want - just thinking about it can be very stress relieving because you now have some hope and a direction in life," he says. Take a pen and write down what your life interests are; what are your hobbies, what do you love doing in your spare time? Now write down your key values in life; integrity, time and freedom, independence, working with other people, helping society? Ask yourself what skills you like to use. and these may differ from what you are good at. Don't be deterred if your passion is a little off-beat. Wouldn't it be nice to do something in life you love and get paid for it? There are endless examples of people doing just that. "Mr Squiggle (Norman Hetherington) celebrated his 40th anniversary this year. His passion 40 years ago was drawing and puppets - now you would wonder how to combine those two things, but he did. Give yourself permission to be creative," says Mr Hutchinson. Think about your personality type and whether it fits with the type of work you are doing. This can cause stress and anxiety, too. |
