Whether we like it or not, work is central to our lives. Most of us define ourselves by our work; it gives us a purpose, it enables us to maintain our lives, our homes, our nourishment, our recreational pursuits and it puts us often among like-minded people who share and appreciate our skills and achievements. No wonder we feel it is so important!
But work can intrude on our lives and unconsciously take over our thoughts, our priorities, and even our coping mechanisms. Especially in recent years, the separation between work and home is more blurry than ever, and we struggle to maintain healthy boundaries, to restore ourselves and recover our attention and energy, to give due focus to our loved ones, and to nourish other parts of our self in more than just a transactional way. We do more 'work' and emotional labour around work outside of the workday than we actually spend at the workplace.
In Mind Over Grind, psychologist Guy Winch explains how being so thoroughly enmeshed with work allows these unconscious tendencies to take root and opens our eyes to the damage they do to our careers and personal lives, as well as to our emotional health. He offers a battle plan by which we can actually change the way we think, bringing intentionality back to our lives, and restoring the balance we crave.
