On Work

The right kind of work wouldn’t produce the “Sunday scaries,” or cause depression or anxiety among workers. It wouldn’t contribute to mass health problems, or harm the environment, or cause dissatisfaction with life. It wouldn’t make you wonder, “Is this all there is?”

It would actually make you happier, healthier and more content with your contributions in the world. It would help you know yourself better, and it would create a knowing within you that you’re doing your absolute best, and that it is good enough.

We are meant to do work in this life. It’s actually part of how we stay healthy, mentally and physically.

I believe there are 3 different kinds of work to be done: mental work, physical work, and spiritual work.

Mental work might look like a sudoko or crossword puzzle in the Sunday morning paper: something to keep the mind sharp. Mental work could also be the work you do with your therapist, unraveling the inner-workings of your psyche to better understand yourself and figure out how you can live in the world best. It could also be trying something new, creating new habits, rewiring your brain as you see fit. Or it could just be problem solving, whether in your work, in your relationships or in your environment — taking a problem and twisting and turning it around and around in your skull until a solution breaks through.

Physical work might mean manual labor in your job. It could also mean hitting the gym, or going for a run, a swim, a bike ride. It could be slower, like yoga, or faster, like racing. Anyway that you enjoy moving your body is the right way for you.

The third type of work, which I think is the least well-understood in our culture, is spiritual work. Spiritual work might mean strengthening your relationship with God. It might mean meditating to find out who you truly are. It might mean serving others over yourself. It might mean becoming disciplined in whatever practice you see as most important to your life’s purpose. But ultimately, I think it is following your purpose.

Some people don’t know their purpose, and that’s okay. Some take time to figure it out, others are born knowing it to their very core, and some never find it. All are okay. Part of your purpose is to seek to find your purpose.

All that matters is that you take whatever step is next for you on your path. You can’t compare to anyone else, as we all have unique purposes, abilities and perspectives. This is just about you, and what you know in your heart you are meant to do. No matter where you start from, as long as you’re moving forward, you’re on the right track. If you don’t know what the next step looks like, try asking yourself, and see what comes up.

All 3 types of work are meant to be challenging, this is what makes them “work.” But don’t let the challenges frustrate you — instead, rise to meet them and face them head on. I bet you’ll be surprised at how capable you are, and how resilient you become. This is all part of the process; it’s all in a day’s work.

© 2021 Jessica Wolf