Occupational Fulfillment

Occupational fulfillment refers to having a positive sense of our contributions to others or the world around us. For many people, this includes employment or participating in community groups or projects. As human beings, it’s important that we feel our contributions are in line with our own beliefs, boundaries and values, and are also valued and appreciated by others.

Signs of Optimal Health & Wellness

Indicators of thriving include:

Feeling valued and appreciated
Feeling like your actions have a positive impact for others in some way
Feeling energized when doing work or chores
Feeling a sense of connectedness to co-workers, customers or team members
An openness to learn new things and accept new challenges
Continuous opportunities for self-learning and growth
Knowing that your contributions are in line with your own beliefs, values and boundaries
Ability to express yourself, your needs, and manage any conflicts
Willingness to be a team player

Warning Signs

Indicators of warning or decline:

Feeling unappreciated, or that contributions aren’t acknowledged
Emotional distress resulting in crying, anxiety, or not wanting to go to work or participate in the activity
Poor quality of outcomes or not caring about the outcomes
Expressing self by breaking rules, laws or social norms
Increased mistakes or errors
Feeling “burnt out”
Inability to resolve conflicts or make changes in healthy ways

SELF EVALUATION

For many people, employment and participating in community groups or projects occupy a considerable amount of their waking lives. It’s important to find purpose and meaning in what you do. Ask yourself: Do I find purpose and meaning in what I’m doing? Do I feel like I’m making a contribution? Do I feel like I’m sharing my greatest gifts? Do I have the opportunity to meet my basic needs? Does this bring me joy or fulfillment in some area of my life? Am I doing a good job? Does this align with my own personal beliefs, values, boundaries and goals? When these answers are no, it may be time to take a break, rejuvenate in some way, reframe your own beliefs and attitudes, or consider seeking new opportunities that meet your needs.

SELF-CARE

Set a time to think about evaluate your own personal occupational goals, and determine what changes, if any, need to be made
Look for other jobs or opportunities. This can help you better examine what you like or don’t like about your current situation
Talk to your workplace or organization about new goals or changes you would like to make

GET SUPPORT

When you are experiencing prolonged unhappiness or discontentment in your workplace or projects, it might be time to seek intervention.