Jobs typically give you set hours. Once your shift ends, so should the work you do. However, some assignments can feel inescapable when you answer emails or are called in on your days off. Before you know it, your life before you got this job could disappear.
You would not be the first person who has felt they sold their soul for their job. You may be someone who has to work a dissatisfying job to support yourself or your family. Maybe you want to devote yourself to a job you love. The problem is that it can feel like you are never off work. Before you know it, you dedicate your time and energy solely to your job instead of your own needs.
Here are five signs you’ve given your life to your job and how to get it back.
1. No Sense of Purpose
The American job culture has lured us into believing that life should revolve around work. However, it comes at a steep price. You spend more time at work than you do at home. When you evaluate your life and dreams, do you have goals outside work projects and promotions? If not, you might have lost your sense of purpose as a human being.
2. Work is All You Do
Your job has taken hold of your soul if work becomes a priority over everything else. Everything in life should be a balance between work and personal life. When your workday ends, you can do something fun with your loved ones or relax on your own. It can be a real problem if you work longer than you have to. Establishing boundaries can make a difference in keeping your personal life alive.
3. Willing to Do Anything for Work
Your job may ask for more time than your contracted hours. It isn’t uncommon for people to have work email on their phones or bring their computer home. If you find yourself adding more hours to your workday because you continue to work after leaving the office, you are giving away valuable personal time that should be spent with friends or taking care of yourself. It’s hard to put away work when additional hours can give you a leg up, but you can regain your identity in the process.
4. Serious Burnout
Many people get burnout from work. You could be feeling like you are without the energy to complete any tasks or have trouble concentrating. Additionally, you could feel constantly fatigued or dissatisfied with your achievements. On the other hand, your company giving you the impression you need to work extra hard to compete with your colleagues is unfair. It may just be the burnout talking, but it shouldn’t be ignored.
5. You Cannot Sleep
Sleep is an important part of living. If your job prevents you from getting seven to eight hours of sleep, you are not refreshing or energizing your body for the next day. You cannot have a productive day if you feel like you are devoid of energy. Rest should always be a priority, and anything taken away from it should be re-evaluated.
How to Get Your Soul Back
It’s understandable to receive validation and even self-worth from your job, but there’s more to life outside the workplace. See how you can gain back some of the hours of the day by adding in activities that fill you with joy. Join an adult sports league, make dinner plans with friends, or pick up an old hobby. See if you can expand your dreams outside of the work sphere. The good news is that noticing your life has been taken over by work is the first step back to finding a better work/life balance.
If you are still struggling to make that adjustment, a therapist can get you on the right track to enjoying life again.
Read more about Therapy for Anxiety here.