Reflecting Upon the Ways Our Job Affects Our Personal Lives

Labor Day weekend has come and gone, which often serves as a reminder of the ending of summer. Even if we are at the age we no longer are in school and enjoying summer vacation, that end of the season feeling that accompanies Labor Day doesn’t always go away. However, it doesn’t have to be a negative time. Instead, think back to the meaning of Labor Day which represents a day to honor workers and give them a break from their jobs. So, in the spirit of the holiday, here are some different stressors that are job-related which can cause upset, as well as ways that a Los Angeles therapist such as Dr. Yvonne Thomas can help.

One of the major sources of stress when it comes to one’s job is the work environment. A toxic work atmosphere can, in many ways, taint the rest of the job and create an unpleasant experience. So let’s say that you feel like you hate your job. Do you hate it because you have an unnecessarily mean boss or uncooperative colleagues? Or do you hate it because you are no longer finding joy or satisfaction in your line of work? This is an important distinction that needs to be made at some point or another, but it can be very difficult to do when you are knee-deep in the situation. How do we pinpoint what’s wrong with our professional life? Reaching out to a therapist can help you narrow down the source of your job dissatisfaction and what you can do about it.

Another common but no less stressful problem that a lot of people run into is difficulty balancing their personal and professional lives. Sometimes our work life can take over other aspects of our life, making it hard to think about anything else or the people we are close to. It can often be very difficult to gauge what are some real pressures from our jobs and what stems from us being too perfectionistic or hard on ourselves regarding our work performance. Drawing the line between doing a healthy amount of work and having healthy work standards for yourself versus having trouble doing one or both of these can be challenging. That is why a good why it can be very helpful to work with a therapist who knows how to assist you with issues like this.

Due to the way our society is organized, it can be difficult to understand or process our sense of worth outside of a work context. When we introduce ourselves, we often start by saying what our job is, and some people tend to measure their life accomplishments in professional terms. Because of this, problems in the workplace can bleed into the rest of our lives, sometimes to the point where it can be difficult to separate our overall self-worth with our work performance. Our self-esteem, identity, and self-worth do not have to be nor should they be only defined by our job or our professional life. Of course, it might be easy to tell ourselves this, but a lot harder to actually believe it. A therapist such as Yvonne Thomas whose specialties include work and career stress can help you with this type of issue.

Work-related problems are only one of Dr. Yvonne Thomas’s specialties. With over twenty years of practice, Dr. Thomas is ready to assist you on your journey to a healthier sense of self. For more information on how she can help you, request an appointment through her website or give her a call at (310) 359-9450.