Most products or activities that are considered dangerous are labeled with a warning. Cigarette packages have a warning from the Surgeon General’s office. Stepladders have a warning that the top steps should be avoided. Likewise job contracts should be stamped with a statement that your job might be bad for your general well being.
What steps can be taken to make your job less stressful and dangerous to your health? If you are armed with six viewpoints the perils of most jobs can be minimized. These views are:
1. A cheerful outlook. Cheerfulness is a natural "way of being" for some people, but for others it is hard to be perky and bright without a lot of effort. An effort that gets some results is to meditate on "cheerfulness." The exercise for evoking cheerfulness requires a quite time when you can focus on your breathing and gradually shift to reflecting on appreciating a cheery perspective. The next step is to use your mind’s eye and see yourself as a radiant person in spite of unfriendly coworkers and other difficult situations.
2. A confident attitude. Obviously not all of us are equally confident because some of us need a lot of approval from others but some of us don’t. What is your level of need for approval? If your need is too high you should focus on some ways to reduce it.
3. A tolerant perspective. Do you want others to do what you think they should do or can you give people some space so that they can be themselves without upsetting you? Work is likely to be unpleasant if you make big deals out of other worker’s irritating idiosyncrasies.
4. A connected view. Do you think that you are the only worker who sees things the way you do? How much do you have in common with those who work with you? Your job can become a source of personal support if you feel connected with others at work.
5. A coping stance. The problem is not avoiding having problems but rather learning how to deal with those problems that will come our way. Coping strategies can be learned, for example, freeze framing is an on the spot method of stress reduction and anger management.
6. An idealist outlook. Ideally work should help us learn and grow. A good job is a continuation of our schooling. We become better people because of positive effects of our work environment. Why work? Ideally because it is edifying.
How can these perspectives be obtained and maintained? A self-help support group is one surefire way to do it. People addicted to overeating, harmful drugs and alcohol all have support groups to help them deal with their compulsions. Workaholics need support and love too to preserve their positive outlook to their job. A support group of people dedicated to helping one another reducing stress and gaining satisfaction can be very beneficial. Work can become a time of enjoyment and personal growth rather than a hazard to your health. Check out "enjoyingwork.com" for ideas about how to get started on the journey to enjoying what you do at your work.
William A. Poppen, Ph.D. from Ohio State University, is a retired Professor of Educational Psychology and Counseling at the University of Tennessee, Knoxville and the owner of enjoyingwork.com. Enjoyingwork.com is a site dedicated solely to helping people make working an enjoyable and healthy experience. The site presents materials to use to establish and maintain a self-help support group focused on enjoying work.