Job Therapy by Tessa West

Book Summary

This is a comprehensive summary of “Job Therapy” by Tessa West. The book explores finding work that works for you.

what’s in it for me? a guide to finding more fulfillment at work.#

Introduction

tessa west, job therapy, finding work that works for you have you ever felt like your workday is a puzzle, where the pieces don't quite fit?

you're not alone.

many of us find ourselves in careers or roles that initially promised fulfillment but now seem to drain our spirits and enthusiasm.

this disconnect between expectation and reality at work is at the heart of this chapter to job therapy.

in this guide, you'll discover common career ailments and practical solutions designed to help you articulate your personal and professional needs.

maybe you're seeking to reinvent yourself in your current field or pivot to an entirely new industry.

either way, you'll learn to pinpoint exactly where your current role falls short so you can craft a vision for a career that not only meets but exceeds your expectations.

let's begin.

job satisfaction starts with self-reflection#

job satisfaction starts with self-reflection feeling stuck in a job or dissatisfied with your career can evoke a sense of loss, much like the bewilderment we feel in a strained relationship.

this sentiment of detachment and misery in the workplace is alarmingly common.

according to a gallup report, 60% of people feel emotionally detached at work, while 19% report they're downright miserable.

what can we do to combat this epidemic of job-related misery?

how about taking a cue from our relationships?

let's break that down.

in personal relationships, therapy is often sought to entangle complex emotions and conflicts.

a similar approach can be beneficial in the professional realm to understand and resolve the emotional underpinnings of job dissatisfaction.

applying therapeutic strategies involves acknowledging and processing the complex emotions surrounding our careers, which often include ambivalence, fluctuating engagement, and conflicting feelings of love and hate for the job.

in many cases, we might try to address career woes with structural solutions, like working from home, negotiating a new salary package, or even considering a job change.

but these solutions aren't sustainable in the long run.

they're akin to believing that a large house will fix a troubled marriage.

if we want true resolution, we need to dig deeper and explore our emotional connections and needs related to our jobs and careers.

to embrace this therapeutic perspective, start by looking for signs of emotional turmoil, such as mixed feelings about work or sporadic bursts of enthusiasm that mask underlying issues.

these signals are often misinterpreted or overlooked, and it's important to uncover them so they can be addressed.

this deeper engagement with the professional self can transform a mere job into a source of fulfillment and personal growth.

and ultimately, the journey to resolving job dissatisfaction through emotional and psychological introspection can lead to a healthier, more satisfying life.

your job is part of who you are#

your job is part of who you are.

if you're feeling a mix of emotions about your job, know that it's normal for work to feel as complex and fraught as any other aspect of your life.

this is a vital starting point for understanding workplace satisfaction and dissatisfaction.

take the case of trisha baker, a former school psychologist who initially felt her role aligned well with her interests in mental health and practicality for managing family life.

over time, though, her job evolved into a series of tasks—assessments, meetings, and report writing—that didn't fulfill her.

this shift led her to realize that she yearned for a more hands-on, therapeutic role.

trisha's story illustrates how the daily realities of a job can significantly deviate from what we might expect when entering a profession, leading to a gradual but deep disconnect.

this disconnect often stems from an identity crisis many face regarding their job.

work isn't just a place you go.

it's a significant component of who you are.

despite the common belief that personal and professional selves should remain distinct, the reality is that most people spend more time at work than at home, making it a dominant aspect of their identity.

recognizing and reconciling how much of your identity is tied to your job is crucial in understanding how satisfied or dissatisfied you are.

for some, like trisha, the dissatisfaction arises not just from the tasks themselves, but from a fundamental mismatch between their expectations and the demands of their roles.

this mismatch can create a sense of unhappiness, particularly when there's a gap between the immersive identity a job demands and the desire to maintain a certain professional distance.

addressing this mismatch requires more than just a change of job functions.

again, it calls for a thoughtful approach to understanding your emotional and psychological needs in relation to work.

feelings of love and hate toward your job aren't just red flags, but potential starting points for deeper inquiry.

resolving workplace dissatisfaction, in other words, means embracing the messy emotional complexities of your career.

this isn't about finding quick fixes through job changes or salary raises.

it's about engaging with the psychological aspects of your work life so you can clear a path to a more fulfilling professional existence.

feedback helps you align your work with your goals#

slack helps you align your work with your goals.

feeling overwhelmed and stretched too thin at work is a common experience for many, and it can lead to burnout and dissatisfaction, particularly when you're juggling multiple roles beyond your primary responsibilities.

this scenario typically results in producing work that may meet the minimum standards of your workplace but falls short of your personal expectations.

the first step in addressing this situation is to evaluate the additional tasks you've taken on.

often, these extra responsibilities are voluntary and not officially recognized in terms of career advancement.

this poses two questions.

are these tasks truly contributing to your professional growth or simply adding to your workload?

and will these efforts be acknowledged in discussions about promotions or other career advancements?

if you do find yourself in this predicament, the proactive approach is to engage directly with your supervisor and clarify whether the additional work you're doing is likely to impact your career trajectory positively.

ask if these contributions will be considered when it comes time for making decisions about promotions or other opportunities within the organization.

seeking feedback is a sound strategy for navigating your career path.

engage in conversations with your boss, or if that feels uncomfortable, another leader within the organization, to get insights on how you're doing.

and ask specific questions about what you can do to align more closely with the goals that will help you advance.

gathering this information isn't about receiving positive affirmations.

it's about identifying actionable steps that lead to tangible outcomes.

leaders and managers are typically receptive to these discussions, especially when they see an employee taking the initiative to match their efforts with organizational goals.

look for patterns and consistent advice in the feedback you receive, as these will guide you toward making the most impactful contributions.

by making sure your work is recognized and in sync with your career goals, and by actively seeking out and applying feedback, you can navigate through the complexities of feeling overextended.

remember, the key isn't just to do more.

it's to do more of what's strategically beneficial for your professional development.

beat stress at work by tracking its root cause#

beat stress at work by tracking its root cause.

understanding our relationship with our jobs often hinges on recognizing and addressing the stressors that impact our daily work lives.

many of us operate under false assumptions about what causes stress at work, which can skew our perceptions and decisions about our careers.

a study involving an app called myvp lab, designed to measure daily stress and its correlation with blood pressure, sheds light on this issue.

the app asks users to predict what will stress them out in the morning and to reflect on what actually caused them stress at the end of the day.

results show that people accurately predict their stressors only about half the time.

this discrepancy highlights a common misjudgment.

while we might prepare for certain stress factors, we often overlook other common yet unpredictable ones, like sudden meetings or traffic jams.

so to feel happier and calmer at work, start documenting your daily stress triggers.

by noting down anticipated stressors each morning and actual ones each evening, you can identify patterns and see which parts of your job are consistently more stressful than expected and which issues you might be overlooking.

such documentation will help you not just with managing your current job stress, but also with planning future career moves.

by systematically listing out the pros and cons of a job and engaging in exercises like the three things exercise, writing down three things that went well for you today and providing an explanation for why they went well, you can make more informed decisions about your career path.

understanding and managing job-related stress is key to feeling more fulfilled in your career.

when you get a clear view of what truly affects your day-to-day, you can make smarter choices that lead to a healthier work-life balance.

recognizing the real stressors versus the perceived ones empowers you to make meaningful changes that better align with your personal and professional goals, setting you up for a more satisfying and balanced work life.

successful career changes require thoughtful planning#

successful career changes require thoughtful planning.

getting stuck in your career often leads to contemplating drastic changes.

but it's important to approach this crossroads with a strategic mindset and an understanding of your intrinsic values and skills.

when considering a job change, it might be more about applying your existing strengths in new environments than about seeking something entirely new.

a big part of any career transition is figuring out which skills you're great at and enjoy using.

you can break this down into three steps.

identify what you do best, how you apply these skills, and the context in which they're most effective.

next, do some field research.

think of it as dipping your toe in the water to check the temperature before plunging in.

one of the most effective ways to understand what lies beyond your current role is through networking and asking questions.

engage with people in the fields or roles you're considering to uncover the hidden curriculum of those positions, those aspects of the job, like administrative duties, that aren't apparent until you're in the role.

when deciding whether to stay at your job or move on, it's important to balance your gut feelings with logical thinking.

you don't have to make sudden moves to find a fulfilling career.

instead, you can take small, thoughtful steps.

think of it as dating different professional identities.

you get to explore new options while keeping the security of your current job.

taking incremental steps to match your practical needs with what you really want is key.

this means exploring different careers, getting to know what they really involve and how they might make you feel.

in doing so, you can make an informed choice that meets both your personal fulfillment and career goals.

in short, dealing with career dissatisfaction and making a smooth transition is all about understanding your current skills, connecting with people to learn about new roles, and finding the right balance between your emotions and logical thinking.

this thoughtful, step-by-step approach helps you minimize risk and find a career that feels right for your heart and mind.

in this chapter to job therapy by tessa west, you've seen that tackling career dissatisfaction means getting a handle on your emotions and syncing up your personal and professional selves.

final summary#

Conclusion

using therapeutic techniques helps you dive into the mental side of work and spot where your expectations don't quite match up with reality.

by tracking daily stressors, applying your skills in new ways, and making smart moves through networking, you can make gradual changes that steer you toward a more fulfilling career.

okay, that's it for this chapter.

we hope you enjoyed it.

if you can, please take the time to leave us a rating.

we always appreciate your feedback.

see you in the next chapter!

Job Therapy

Table of Contents

Book Summary

what’s in it for me? a guide to finding more fulfillment at work.#

job satisfaction starts with self-reflection#

your job is part of who you are#

feedback helps you align your work with your goals#

beat stress at work by tracking its root cause#

successful career changes require thoughtful planning#

final summary#

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