Fulfillment and Burnout
We often assume that fulfilling work, work that motivates us, work we feel enthusiastic about, and work we are fully engaged in, will provide us with a protective barrier and immunity from burnout. And yet even while enthusiastically embracing our work we can inadvertently stretch, or even abandon, the very boundaries we need for self-care, […]
Identifying Skills – An Experiential Worksheet
What comprises a skill set? We often associate our skill set with the functional skills or expertise required for a specific job, role, or profession. But this lens is too narrow; it does not capture the full scope of reality. Ourskills are in fact continuously developing and expanding over the course of our lives. Our […]
Imagining Career – A Career Development Exercise
Career development is continuous throughout our lives; whether you are a young adult just starting your working life or whether you have some career experience and are now contemplating a career transition. Creativity and imagination are as much a part of career development during our lifetimes as specific strategies. Try this exercise. What does your […]
The benefits of reflective practice
Reflective practice helps us stay connected to our lives, our emotions, and our experiences. It helps us balance the imbalance of hyper-busyness that we have come to equate with productivity and success. Reflective practice (and it does require practice!) is key to deepening our awareness, gaining perspective, being emotionally attuned and flexible, and building our […]
The increasing desire for fulfilling work
As a career counsellor, I have witnessed the increasing desire for fulfilling work amongst my clients. Fulfillment is at the top of the “want” list for those experiencing career transitions, for those re-assessing their relationship with their current work roles, for those who are experiencing and navigating work-related stress and burnout, or for those in […]
Returning to work after burnout
When I work with clients who have experienced burnout and have taken time away from work for self-care or to seek help and/or support, they often have mixed feelings about returning to work. Whether a client is returning to the same workplace or has decided to embark on a career transition, these feelings can include […]
Motivation
I am frequently asked, “how can I stay motivated through different career stages”? While we may desire a formula for maintaining a consistent level of motivation for our work, we are human, and motivation fluctuates naturally. I would therefore reframe that question with three others, “how can I become more aware of the fluctuations in […]
When Are Career Transitions Necessary?
Many individuals who contact me want to talk through the subject and feasibility of a career transition. They seek perspective on whether the feelings and experiences they currently have toward their work indicate that a change in job or profession may indeed be necessary. Career Transitions Career transitions are certainly growing in frequency. For young adults in particular, […]
Acknowledging Our Burnout
We all identify with certain narratives and expectations about work, career, and our own professionalism. These narratives and expectations are both personally created and culturally constructed; very often they are a blending of both. Burnout can, therefore, feel incongruent with how we identify as a professional, with the expectations we have of ourselves and how […]
Experiencing Burnout
Think about your own experiences of stress, possibly of burnout. What stands out for you – physically, emotionally, cognitively, relationally? Think about your place of work, and the work you do. What are some of the prominent expectations and attitudes? How is the work environment structured? Leadership? Relationships amongst colleagues? How familiar do the following […]
