Career vs. Spirit: When work drains your soul
When asked about your life purpose, do you respond with your job or title?
While work is an important part of our lives and provides financial stability or a sense of accomplishment, it doesn’t always fulfill a person’s deeper passions or desires.
At our core, we're spiritual beings having a human experience that is constantly evolving. Our career is one small piece of that puzzle. But societal expectations and cultural pressure around work can make it really tough to let go of professional identities.
You are multi-dimensional. Emotional, physical, mental, and spiritual balance comes from living an authentic life. When ignored, you’ll find yourself stressed, dissatisfied, and experiencing complete burnout.
Common signs that your work is draining your spirit.
Lack of fulfillment and well-being take a toll on the human spirit. Here are some common signs that you’re disconnected from your authentic self:
You dread going to work.
If you wake up every day with a sense of dread and anxiety about going to work, it will drain your energy and sense of purpose.
You deal with burnout and have no work–life balance.
Constant physical, emotional, and mental exhaustion means your job is taking a toll on your well-being.
You experience a lack of enthusiasm or alignment.
Feeling disconnected from your job, the product, or values will zap personal passion for what you do.
You feel underappreciated.
If your hard work isn’t recognized or underappreciated, it can deplete your spirit.
Connecting with your soul's purpose.
Remember, you're a complex, multidimensional human being. It is never too late to explore different interests that can enrich your personal growth.
So, how do you connect with your soul's purpose and experience growth beyond your career? Here are some ways to get started:
Let go of societal brainwashing.
There’s so much more to life than work, yet people allow judgment from others to tether their identity and self-worth to career choice. Take time to cultivate your passions and values outside of your career. You can always infuse them into your professional life or seek a job that resonates with your innermost self. Be patient. It’s a process. But you have to start somewhere.
Practice self-reflection.
Take some time to reflect on your innermost desires, passions, and values. Ask yourself what brings you joy, what you feel called to do, and what you want to contribute to the world.
Try a skills-based approach.
Instead of looking at degrees or groups of titles, start thinking about what you are good at doing. List your best and most enjoyable skills and then match them to possible career paths. There are free tools that you can use such as CareerOneStop’s Skills Matcher or mySkillsmyFuture; LinkedIn’s Career Explorer; My Next Move; or O*Net’s Skills Search feature.
Follow your intuition.
Trust your intuition and follow your inner guidance, even if it takes you in a different direction than your current career path. Your soul knows exactly what you need to do to experience soul growth and fulfill your unique purpose in life. Go within and listen to its whispers and nudges.
Cultivate spiritual practices.
Engage in spiritual and mindful practices that resonate with you, such as life-purpose meditation, prayer, yoga, or even martial arts. These practices can help you connect with your inner wisdom.
Embrace challenges as opportunities for growth.
View challenges and setbacks as opportunities for growth and learning. These experiences can help you develop resilience, compassion, and other qualities that are essential for your soul growth.
Final thoughts.
Your soul’s purpose and identity doesn’t have to be career related. Don’t be afraid to explore other parts of yourself through self-reflection, following your intuition, and perhaps cultivating spiritual practices, such as meditation.
Remember, you are a spiritual being on your own unique journey and continuously evolving. Trust that you are exactly where you are supposed to be at this point in your life and that the universe is guiding you towards your true purpose.
