Are you happy in your job? If you are older, are you retired or still actively working? How we feel about our work is important for our health at any age. According to Dr. Bill Hettler in The Six Dimensions of Wellness, “the Occupational Dimension recognizes personal satisfaction and enrichment in one’s life through work.” Our work development is related to our attitude about our work.  Work should be both personally meaningful and rewarding as we work the majority of each week.  According to The Six Dimensions of Wellness, it is better to choose a career which is consistent with our personal values, interests, and beliefs than to select one that is unrewarding to us. It is better to develop functional, transferable skills than to remain inactive and uninvolved and this is true of any age.  However, that isn’t always possible.

The good part is that everything we do and learn helps us in our career path and it is never too late to change paths. I have worked in the corporate area, pet wellness and rescue, as a consultant, and as an artist, along with the educational area as teacher and also administration. I love teaching and it is a career path that gives me joy, as does painting and writing. I started painting professionally at 63. You can change or grow at any age. I ask myself if I enjoy going to work each day, do I have a manageable workload, and can I talk to my boss and peers if a problem arises. If I can answer these positively then I have a good balance, but if I can’t answer positively then it will be time for a change.  It may not happen quickly, but you can start making changes at any time.

There are a lot of resources around to help you change careers. Colleges in your area are a good resource and will often have a career center where you can find what you like and how to start making changes if you need to. Go to job fairs. Look at your strengths and weaknesses. Can one of your  hobbies/interests/activities become a new career? What occupations look interesting to you? What do you want to do with your life? Although change seems scary at times, change happens whether we like it or not and it is better to be prepared and to flow with the changes.

Even if we can’t change our work situation, we can change our responses. We can take resp0onsibility for our choices and keep a positive outlook on life and work. Having a good work-play balance also helps diffuse bad working situations because it relieves the stress which helps us deal with it better.  Anything you do to relieve stress will help in a bad situation. Take 10 minutes to sit and listen to your favorite music and get lost in it. Just remember you can start your changes at any age and at any time. Work towards that change and don’t be afraid of it.

What are your questions about Occupational Wellness? Are you happy with your work? Share with me! Safe journeys until next week :).