How Emotional Attachment to a Workplace Affects Your Wellbeing
Being attached to a particular workplace can be restrictive hindering your development and skills which has the knock-on effect of decreasing morale, motivation, and confidence.
It used to be the case that loyalty equals progression, higher pay, and better benefits but those days are in the past. Staying in one place for too long can set you back and letting yourself get emotionally attached to your workplace can end up becoming your entire life and defining who you are. In such circumstances, work can dictate everything else in your life putting it as a priority before your health and wellbeing.
In these situations, people believe that their only purpose in life is to work and link this with happiness and fulfillment. We end up going above and beyond to impress our colleagues, to go that extra mile with no guarantee of recognition. We then move on to the next goal and do the same thing by going above and beyond what we are employed to do and what we are paid.
Even if our jobs are not particularly exciting or require much enthusiasm too much emotional attachment leads to burnout. Detaching yourself emotionally to a workplace doesn’t mean not showing up or losing interest — in fact, it is the opposite.
Having a routine, only working during work hours, giving yourself breaks, and keeping your options open so that you have the flexibility to move when you want or need to increases productivity levels and enthusiasm.
Choosing how we react to certain situations also helps us to detach emotionally:
- Tell yourself that your work doesn’t define who you are
- Don’t let your work take over your life to the point where you neglect your other priorities
- Make time for your own personal interests before, after work, or on weekends
- Thinking objectively helps to conserve mental energy