We now have neurological evidence that there is a positive correlation between body and mind, meaning that life satisfaction is positively correlated with your overall health; also referred to as ‘Psychosomatics’.
Your chosen vocation takes up roughly one-third of your waking existence. If this part of your life is not providing you with a sense of purpose and self-worth, your life satisfaction barometer falls drastically, leaving you more susceptible to depression, anxiety, fatigue, and chronic illness. Our thoughts, feelings and health are intermittently linked and influence each other 24/7.
Giving your precious time to a career that only offers a paycheck in return can create a feeling of emptiness, as if a part of yourself will always remain unlocked. The stress that comes from this inability to unlock your full potential, together with unhealthy lifestyle habits in an attempt to fill the void, increases inflammation in the body which plays a key role in many diseases. Chronic inflammatory diseases contribute to more than half of deaths worldwide.
More and more people are getting chronically ill and at younger ages than ever before. High job dissatisfaction and stress are contributing to this rising statistic. One study showed that job strain is associated with a 45% increased risk of developing Type 2 diabetes.
No matter what age you are, or how far you have progressed in your career, it is never too late to try something new that is more aligned with your values and gives you meaning.
When you enjoy what you do, you raise your serotonin, endorphin and dopamine levels which result in a change in your physiology and boosts immunity.
Most feedback from the body, whether it be fatigue, back pain or headaches are messages that you are not living a life aligned with your true essence. You are in alignment when your thoughts, life choices, and life direction, honour your core values i.e. your fundamental beliefs and highest priorities. It is when you trust your intuition and are comfortable with who you are. As a by-product, your health improves, and your healthy lifespan is extended.
A doctor or pharmacist may help ease the symptoms of your pain with medication but that can lead to unwanted side effects for some. However, this only provides temporary relief for symptoms that have a deeper meaning. Symptoms can be a feedback mechanism to let you know that something needs to change in your life. They can be your friend and a doorway to a more meaningful existence if interpreted correctly. They are signs to wake up and take a deeper look at what you are here to do, what is your mission and your purpose. This form of applied psychology allows you to reclaim power over your life.
Physiological and psychological symptoms can guide you to authenticity.
A career change is not always possible. This does not mean you are doomed to have poor health it simply means you can look elsewhere to bring you a sense of fulfilment and purpose. This could be spending quality time with your kids, volunteering for a cause that is close to your heart, spending time with like-minded people or improving your work environment. The point is to live your life more purposefully. The more purposeful you are in life, the more your mind and body will align.
If you don’t know where to start in discovering your purpose, start by determining your core values. These will guide you to your next step as your purpose is an expression of your highest value.
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Main photo by Elisa Ventur on Unsplash
