Work and Productivity
Work isn’t separate from who we are—it’s tied to our identity and well-being. Therapy can help with career choices, job stress, motivation slumps, and productivity struggles, so you can reconnect with meaning and show up fully in your life.
I love it when work and productivity come up as therapy topics. I have the impression that some therapists see them as second-tier topics, not as juicy as relationships or emotions, but I find work to be hugely important to many people and often closely linked to identity and self-worth, so I see it as rich stuff. Here are some ways I’ve seen these topics play out in my sessions.
Jobs
A lot happens on the job. Success/failure, complicated relationships, conflict and conflict resolution, motivation, and focus.
Career
I like thinking about career in the broad context of your life. Our shared understanding of your personality, goals, glitches, etc. will serve us well as we make sense of career decisions.
Motivation
While we often view motivation as simple and intellectual–”This goal makes sense for me, therefore I will be motivated to pursue it”–the reality turns out to be a lot more complicated and a lot more emotional. Motivation is the fire in the belly, the desire for something. It’s personal, and it’s subjective. When motivation dips, we need to figure out what’s happening emotionally. It could even be part of a depression. Many men notice lack of motivation long before they realize they’re depressed.
Job Searches
These are a pain in the butt, but they’re also a great way to clarify who you are and what you want out of your life, then to practice courage, assertiveness, being fully present, and taking great care of yourself.
Productivity
As with the issues above, I love dealing with challenges in productivity. Did something in your job or project go from meaningful to meaningless? Or from comfortable to intimidating? Did you go from organized, connected, and productive to a bit flailing, isolated, or unproductive? And why have these changes occurred? Even more important, how can you get connected to yourself and your goals?
As you can tell, I do not think of Work Stuff in one category and Psychological Stuff in another. I think of work and productivity as very intertwined with who you are and how you’re doing. When you’re comfortable with yourself and showing up fully in your life, you’re likely to be productive too, so if you work on self-acceptance or relationships, etc., you’re probably working toward better productivity as well. I wish you well on working on work!