Do We Choose Our Jobs? October 5, 2015 News Is your job getting you down? Making you depressed? And can you do anything about it? Someone said to me the other day: ‘Something dies in me every day I stay here – but I don’t have any choice. I won’t get this sort of money anywhere else.’ We don’t have many choices in life. We don’t choose our parents, our childhood, our gender, our family – our country of origin, our century, our genetic tendencies… The list goes on. So what about our jobs – what choices do we have? Maybe it depends on our priorities. Maybe the money is our number one priority, the first necessity – so we put up with the job making us unhappy. ‘I don’t like the job – but we can’t all do things we’re passionate about. I’m choosing it because of the pay.’ In response, some might say: ‘What’s the point of money if it’s making you depressed? Why not be happy with less money?’ But you might reply ‘I couldn’t pay the rent.’ So then our accommodation becomes a factor. If the particular place you live is a priority, then clearly that limits your choice of job. You’ll need to earn whatever it costs. A lot of (well-paid) people say, ‘Oh, I’d just like to give up what I’m doing – and go and work in a supermarket!’ But I’ve worked in a supermarket for a number of years…and I know the wages. I was as happy in that job as I’ve been in any job. But my financial options were limited…very. So perhaps prior to our choice of job is a review of our priorities. What do I want from my one precious life? Is earning £100,000 a year but missing out on my children growing up worth it? I’ve known bankers who ponder this one. Perhaps we’ll decide it is – think of the other benefits! Expensive holidays etc… These things often come up in our Mind Clinic sessions, as people ponder their futures in the safe confidential space we provide. Because, whether we like it or not, we spend a lot of time at work. So how’s your job fitting in with what you want from life?