You Are Not Your Work

Living in an individualistic world where money is central to survival, it’s easy to make your work your life. Many people, particularly Americans, wake up and go to work, then come home and often finish a couple things up at home. It seems to be the majority of us that spend most of our waking hours working, or thinking about work because that’s the way we were taught to prioritize things. Because the space work takes up in our minds is so vast, we often place the value of our personhood in it.

Even as a student, outside of the “real world,” studies can act the same way. While employed folks are working towards promotions, raises, and everything else that comes with having a job, students can also get lost in grades. All this to say, no matter your age or environment, the mindset that your value is measured in your work can seep into your head.

That’s not a great feeling, is it? Through this, if something were to go awry at work, you can quickly feel as though you failed, and that can be gut-wrenching.

Avoiding these feelings can be difficult, especially if you can’t catch a break. That’s why it’s vital to check in with and get to know yourself. What do you like to do? What makes you happy? Who do you like to spend time with?

Creating a space that is entirely separate from work is crucial. The most natural thing to do when you’re overwhelmed with work is to focus even more on it. I implore you: take a break. As a student myself, I find that doing things that I enjoy is incredibly difficult to make time for when I tell myself that “I’ll get to it.” Schedule it if you must! If there’s an hour break in your schedule, dedicate that to doing something you enjoy. Incorporate it into your work schedule, even. I personally love to play piano, and I noticed that I wasn’t doing it at all during the school year, so I enrolled in a piano class to make sure I got to it. I’ve noticed that doing one of my passions regularly (even if it is now part of school) has made me much less anxious about the rest of my schooling.

Work, school, and everything of that nature has aspects of it that are out of your control. It’s a hard reality to accept, but there are too many moving parts to consider them wholly solid. Where you can find your footing is in yourself and in your hobbies and interests, so make sure you create joy outside of work and remember, rest is productive too.

Lucy M., Undergraduate Intern 2023

Olive Branch Counseling Associates, Inc.