Article by Kim Millhimes, Psy.D. (she/her)
MFC Licensed Therapist | York, PA Team
How do I align my job with my personal values?
Why do my personal values conflict with the job I’m in?
Thinking back, do you remember what led you to choose the job you are currently in?
Maybe they offered a competitive salary, the job was close to home with little commute, or it was a company or organization that you had heard good things about. One thing that you may or may not have considered is how much your role at this job and within the company was in line with your personal values in life. If you were able to do so, you will likely be less likely to suffer from burnout than those who did not consider this aspect of a job.
What is the definition of personal values?
One way to define a value is quite simply: an individual’s own decision about what is important in life.
- The decisions can span life areas such as friendship, parenting, spirituality, work, and leisure, among others.
- Often, it is helpful to dig deeply into these areas of our lives and perform a self-assessment regarding what is most important to us.
Values can change over the course of life, and it is recommended to reevaluate them on a regular basis. For instance, before becoming a parent, the thought of what kind of parent you would like to be may have been very far removed from your day-to-day life.
How do my values connect to the job I’m in?
So, back to the job you are in and how this connects to values…
Over time, some people have found they suffer from a type of burnout labeled “values-based burnout” or “misalignment burnout.” This lack of attunement between work and personal values can often lead to symptoms similar to other types of burnout, including increased exhaustion and disengagement from work, as well as decreased performance.
In this case, our personal values and the demands of work do not match. For example, imagine defining one of your primary values as freedom and flexibility. Still, you find yourself in a job where you are expected to work within the confines of a strict schedule and are not free to make changes. You can imagine how this predicament may initially convince you that you “have to do what you have to do” to make the salary required to support your family. In fact, family support could be another value that you hold.
However, over time, you realize that you are feeling constrained and controlled, which conflicts with your personal freedom values. You could begin to experience a sense of burnout at a job you feel pigeon-holed into.
What if my personal values conflict with my professional values?
Should you find yourself in a similar situation regarding a value conflict between personal and professional values, there may be a few strategies you can engage in to rectify this.
Coping Strategies for Rectifying Conflicting Values
- Find Tasks within your Role
First, you may need to search more deeply into your work environment to find tasks within your role that align with your values. So, for the individual described above who values freedom, but finds themselves in an organization that is very structured, they may need to search for other freedoms in their job.
For example, maybe they are able to have flexibility with how they dress for work, or part of their job allows them to travel, which could provide a sense of freedom, compared to their colleagues who are confined to their office.
- Find Ways to Be Creative and Set Challenges
Another coping strategy for this kind of burnout within the work setting could also be finding ways to be creative and challenge yourself. For example, if one of your values is creativity and you are finding this to be stifled in your current workplace, you could challenge yourself to take on an extra task or project that might allow the creative juices to flow.
- Find a Side Project
Finally, if you explore options and truly do not find a way to engage in your valued life areas at work, it might be important to take on a side project that is more in alignment with your personal values, of course being mindful to not overwork, which can also lead to symptoms of burnout!
How to avoid a mismatch of values in the workplace?
While there are some things you can do if you find yourself in a mismatch of values with work and personal values, this particular type of burnout (misalignment or values-based) is one that is much easier to prevent than cure. Thus, before looking for a change in employment, take time to take stock of your values at this point in your life by asking yourself in an honest and compassionate way: What is truly most important to me at this point in my life?
It also might be a good idea to explore the website and social media posts of potential employers to get a sense of how well their stated and lived values match with your own. While it may seem daunting to take stock of your life on such a deep level, it is one that will come with many rewards and serve to minimize the pain of burnout in your life.
Counseling for Personal Values in the Workplace
In addition to personal work on values, outpatient therapy can also significantly help with this topic. A values-focused therapy approach is called Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT). This modality helps individuals identify what is most important to them in their lives and works on developing strategies to help them face anxiety or avoidance that may be getting in the way of aligning their lives with their chosen values. A values-informed therapist can help provide accountability for the challenging yet rewarding changes necessary to build a “life worth living,” which is a central tenet of Acceptance and Commitment Therapy.
Contact MFC to learn more about therapy for identifying personal values and finding a balance with them in your work life with Kim Millhimes or another specialized therapist.
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