On Our Minds Keep your passions alive whilst avoiding stress Seeba Chaachouh On Our Minds 7 mins read Dec 17, 2021 Passion shouldn’t turn into stress. Yet, the daily hustle and bustle may still provoke it. At some point in your career, you may experience pressure and fatigue triggered by poor work-life balance, long working hours, demanding job requirements and obsessive career passion, among several other factors. Yes, that’s right—career passion is on the list! It may come as a surprise to many that devotion to your profession can quickly transform into an unhealthy obsession which, in turn, can lead to workplace stress. Often idealized as aspirational, workaholism–or better known as hustle culture–pushes us to overwork and exhaust ourselves. Some may feel driven to achieve career goals by a certain age, putting all their energy into work-related accomplishments. Others may feel ambitious to establish a profitable side hustle. And many choose to practice bad habits like neglecting sleep and time-off to avoid derailing their career. Of course, it’s not a one-size-fits-all. You may seldom take breaks and be immersed in your work without showing signs of fatigue. But if you are overworked and feel constantly run-down, don’t ignore the red flags. Henceforth, should stress rear its ugly head, ward it off with healthy lifestyle habits. Use our 6 recommendations below to help you identify it, reduce its adverse effects and manage stress overload. Disclaimer: The following is not expert advice and is only meant to provide basic tips. Please consult your doctor if you experience any severe stress symptoms. Practice Self-Awareness: Obsessive vs. Harmonious Passions Love your job. Focus on achievements. Dedicate your youth to mastering your profession. We’ve all heard these catchlines at one point or another from a family member, professor, mentor or even an employer. Juggling work with success, education and social life has been not only widely accepted but highly encouraged. Consider this Image below: Do you recall similar images circulating on the Internet during the peak of hustle culture? Well, beyond its humour, this image feeds into the idea that you can only achieve your goals through sacrifice and unhealthy practices. Yet as it turns out, being obsessively passionate about building a successful career path will do you more harm than good. Passion can be broken down into two types: harmonious passion and obsessive passion. A Canadian study found that the former is characterized by adaptability and enjoyment of a given activity while the latter entails loss of pleasure and lack of control over one’s interaction with the activity. As the study further reveals, harmonious passion increases your motivation due to its positive nature, whereas obsessive passion has more of a negative impact on you given its compulsive nature. Say you are keen on pursuing a specific career. Your interest may fall under either type of passion depending on how you engage with it. If you feel compelled to always thrive in your field–whether it be to appeal to someone, conform to social norms or boost your self-esteem–dedicating most of your time to it will create an imbalance in your life and ultimately give rise to obsession. But if your approach is different, less obsessive and more balanced, you are likely to derive more enjoyment from your career. Knowing the difference between both types of passions can help you develop more self-consciousness in the long run of your career and encourage you to incorporate healthier choices in your everyday life. Ask yourself: is your career passion making you happy? Or is it causing you stress? Pro tip: Avoid choosing social validation over your happiness. Prioritize Your Health & Well-Being Make your ambitions align with your lifestyle rather than the other way around. It’s no secret that looking after your well-being can easily fall through the cracks in stressful moments. Many of us have had to compromise our health to make time for our career. However, after a rough two years due to the pandemic, we can only assume that most have learned to cherish wellness and are now ready to focus on improving their lifestyle. Prioritizing your health doesn’t have to come in the form of regular intense workouts at the gym. It doesn’t mean neglecting your profession either. Instead, you can seek successful outcomes while bringing both your mental and physical well-being to the forefront by establishing a self-care routine and practicing good daily habits. Examples of healthy activities include: Taking short walks on nice days and soaking in the sun on lunch breaks for a boost to your morale Exercising outdoors if the weather permits Devoting time for yourself—even if only 20 minutes per day Aiming to get better sleep Managing your work-related notifications Reading books on your commute Using meditation apps to help you focus better Taking your annual vacation to help you recharge Set Boundaries Drawing the line between your passions and personal life is one step toward having a stable work-life balance. Even though your career is important and your ambitions matter, you should never go overboard with your job. For this reason, you should always preserve boundaries in the workplace. You can rest assured that having limits doesn’t make you rebellious or discourteous. On the contrary, they project self-confidence and firmness. When you are unreasonably expected to overwork and drain yourself, it’s crucial that you address it with your leadership. Being direct about how you feel is the stepping stone to healthy boundaries. Simply put, you have the right to express your displeasure and disagreement on certain work matters—and always remember, standing your ground doesn’t make you a bad employee. Create a Balance Once you know your limits, you can learn how to develop a balance. If you’re falling short of your personal objectives to make way for your career goals, it’s never too late to revive your commitments to a healthy way of life. In your free time, learn how to abstain from doing anything work-related. Spend time with family. Check up on friends. Explore your hobbies. Learn any new, fun skill. Catch up on non-work-related tasks. Or simply, dedicate your time to “The Art of Doing Nothing”—or as Italians put it “La Dolce Far Niente”. Additionally, maintaining a good balance between work and social life has several benefits. It is essential to keep you motivated, increase your job satisfaction and allow you to pursue your interests while also making time to relax and recharge. Who would say no to that? Start Goal-Setting & Remain Organized Are you the kind of person who carries around an agenda or has set up a digital calendar? Well, if you haven’t yet, you may want to consider your options! Keeping track of your overall objectives and daily tasks is crucial to stay organized. And need I mention that organization brings you a step closer to reducing stress while aiming to achieve your goals? Practice More Gratitude Last but not least, practice gratitude. Every morning, remind yourself of the things you’re most grateful for. You may consider writing your thoughts down in your journal or saying them out loud. However you choose to count your blessings, know that it’s important for boosting your day-to-day optimism and productivity. Share This Article Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email
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