How was your Labor Day? Did you revel in the celebration of the working person’s holiday? Did you enjoy the fruits of your labor on your day off? Or, did you succumb, as American workers are increasingly prone to do, to the pressure to work even on the very day granted in recognition of your labor?

Deb's Answer:

The day after Labor Day might be a good time to reflect on how much of a bite work is taking out of your slice of life. That work of some sort is a good pursuit for most people is a given. The extent to which employment has extended itself into the lives of workers is quite another matter. Reflecting on the role that your work and/or your employer plays in defining you can lead to insights on satisfaction and fulfillment. Explore the following themes to start the discovery:

Technology: Technology has been a leading force in providing freedom and flexibility in the workplace. Telecommuting, for example, has opened the door for alternative work arrangements that greatly ease the stress for some. The flexibility that technology allows, however, can also increase the amount of time spent at work. Cell phones, PCs and e-mail have, in some ways, brought the organization home with the worker. Technology is a wonderful vehicle, but only if directed in ways to improve and simplify, not complicate and add stress.

As a variation on a theme, more progressive organizations have actually brought the home to work, providing cots and pingpong tables. This has the potential to create a “you can never go home” scenario. While enjoying the flexibility and convenience that technology and alternate work arrangements offer, also take a look at the degree to which your work structures are creeping into your home life.

Time and activity: The state of being busy, busy at practically anything, seems to have been elevated to the level of status symbol. Driven is rewarded; reflective is not. Speed is praised; deliberation is not. Excessive emphasis on always staying late, always working, always “doing” at the expense of “being” can lead to serious health problems, as well as feelings of alienation. Juliet Schor in her book, The Overworked American, points out that work in the United States has been increasing over the past 20 years, while leisure time has been decreasing.

Ask yourself what is the source of your “busyness?” Is there any room in your life to putter, to read, to reflect, to create and contemplate? Clarify your priorities, and resolve to spend time in a way that reflects the important aspects of life to you.

Dimensions of self: A narrow definition of who you are, shaped exclusively by where you work, leaves little room for creativity and spontaneity. Developing other parts of your personality, connecting with friends and family, discovering new interests, learning about something outside of your normal range of operation can provide tremendous enrichment to your life.

Upon honest reflection, do you see yourself as a multifaceted personality involved in a full range of interests and pursuits, or are you singularly focused on your work? Without a concerted effort, the unfulfilled expressions of your being will be stifled, and you’ll never know the challenges and enjoyments you’ve missed.

If you find yourself in any of the above descriptions and are troubled by that realization, take some time to reclaim yourself.

Every day is an invitation to embrace new possibilities in life, inside and outside of your work.