How are you? All good?
Can you imagine someone asking you this question?
How the f%#k do you ever hold down a big job like that?
So rude!
But honestly, if I had a pound for every friend who ever asked me that question, I could easily have retired at 40! Lol!
You see ‘Linda’ the Corporate executive was never the same person as Linda the friend.
And both ‘personalities’ tended to stay very much ‘in their own lane’.
In work I was serious. Driven. Focused. I was Fierce.
Fiercely loyal, fiercely committed, fiercely determined and well ……. yes …… just fierce!
But outside of work – I was more ‘Bridget Jones’ than the ‘Devil who wore Prada’.
Still loyal, but funny – and a storyteller – often sharing my tales of woe (and embarrassment) in self-deprecating honesty with my friends. I love to laugh until I cry. In fact, I have cried so hard in the past that my tea came out my nostrils! TMI? Yes.. I agree (strike that!).
But why do we do that? Why do we separate our personalities in this way?
Why do we hide so much of ourselves in our home and work environments?
I think it’s quite natural for people to take on slightly different personas at work and at home. After all, each of these environments place different expectations on us and often require us to adapt, but changing your personality too much can cause you to become stressed and to feel disconnected – even depressed.
This is especially true if your ‘work persona’ is at odds with your true personality. It’s can be really hard word to constantly feel like you’re ‘keeping up appearances’, and it can be exhausting to maintain.
It takes EFFORT to be who you are NOT.
But it takes COURAGE to be who you truly are.
Are you the same person at work as you are at home?
Are there parts of your personality that you feel compelled to hide from others?
If your best friend were to write 10 words on a postcard to describe you, would they be the same 10 words that your colleagues would use?
As long as the ‘persona’ your present at work is still a version of who you truly are, then there shouldn’t be too much of a problem.
But if you feel that your home and work personality are radically different, you may struggle to find your true identity.
To find your true self, I encourage you to pay attention to where you feel most natural, most relaxed, most energized and notice which settings leave you feeling more exhausted.
Next, ask yourself whether your career or work environment is truly a good fit for you. If it feels impossible to be yourself at work, and it causes you significant stress, it may be worth reassessing to see if you would be happier and more productive in a different work environment.
Finally, ask yourself what your core values are.
For, if you are going to work every day in an environment that is not aligned to your core values, then you will most likely experience internal conflict that could manifest in the form of anxiety or depression.
And we certainly don’t want that. So, start to notice. When do you feel most alive? When do you feel most like the real you? Talking about what particular subject lights you up more than any other??
x Until next time, sending you love x
I would love to get to know you more, connect with me here.
