Random Spiel, I love my Job
How many people have you encountered that actually said these lines and meant it?
Inspired by an episode when I bought some coffee from a shop. The Barista had a tired look on her face and greeted me with smile with the words "Welcome". It's still early in the morning and she's already not looking happy to serve.
I overheard the staff's chatter about having a hangover and how much they couldn't wait for the next pay for a vacation, and how they are looking for a job. I stopped listening from there and zoned into my own intrusive thoughts.
Do I even love my job?
Yeah I do. But there are times when it's difficult to do it.
Just a recap, I currently am in training under the Psychiatry department so I'm more sensitive to people's incongruent behaviors to what they actually say vs what they do. It's not that I consciously think about what's on other people's mind in the room, it's more like a secondary habit at the back of my head to spot things that are out of place.
The idea that people pay you to listen to their problems and offer advice in the end seemed like someone's dream job until it's not exactly what it seems. For the most part, you do exactly just that, listen to strangers sharing parts about themselves that can sometimes be visceral then figure out a goal together to work it out. It's a simplified way of telling the process but there's more to it than that.
Anyway, I try my best to come into work with enthusiasm because your mood affects how your patients interact with you. If they see your facial expression turn sour, they might think it's partly their fault so its best not to bring your personal problems to work. Unfortunately, this skill isn't something many people could do or trained themselves to do, so it's not a surprise to see some colleagues projecting their bad days to others. I'm not saying I'm better, I probably had some bad days that made some of my interactions with strangers unideal but I try.
No matter how patient you are with people, you eventually experience wear and tear on the mind as you process every stranger's problems into your own head. Some cases are difficult to handle, some cases are easy, but every case cost you some mental resources as you go along the day.
There are days when I feel like dragging my feet to work. In this line of work, people can be ego-centric, they come in to talk about their problems and expect you to listen and help because that's your job. I don't mind this part because that's expected. What grinds my gears is how some people complain about the interviews being too slow that they had to wait for a long period of time in line before getting seen, the entitlement, and asking for special privileges they are used seeing in private hospitals.
Some cases take a lot of time to process because not everyone comes in for consult with the same amount of problems as the others. Some patients that are used to private hospitals complain about the volume of patients. What do they expect from a public hospital that offers free consult? it will attract people who couldn't afford private consultations and there are plenty of people that fit under this category.
My source of happiness
Seeing a patient comeback on follow up reporting that they got a good nights sleep, eating well, taking their medications on time, and avoiding vices. I don't expect a total wipe out of their symptoms but at least I see them showing signs of improvement as proof that you did you job right. There's satisfaction in there. I know I don't get paid extra for doing an excellent job but the work is fulfilling enough if I can have these small moments. It's like your purpose starts to make sense when you do what you do for a living and there's no financial compensation equivalent to this.
I know not many people have the options to do what they love and get financially rewarded for it. I don't have a general advice for this. From my old work experience, I had satisfaction when I can accomplish tasks on time and getting the job right and excluding the financial rewards from the picture. If financial motivations are your central theme to achieve job satisfaction, there's never going to be enough money to make you happy.
It's knowing your job matters and having a sense of accomplishment to do something that matters that's more important.
Thanks for your time.
A job is good job if it gives job satisfaction, I agree. I too love my job but it's a stretch to say it's perfect. Grueling labor and irregular hours make it not perfect. I do feel what I do is important and has a huge impact for others to do thier jobs down the line. That is the satisfaction that keeps me doing my line of work. That and I see cool things from time to time 😃
I think any job can be bearable when you are surrounded by people you can have camaraderie at work and find some sense that your job matters despite how undercompensated you feel it can be sometimes. I left a high paying job that gets me to drag my feet to work and traded it for a low paying job but fun, was good for my mental health even if I had doubts I could pay bills on time. But the latter experience was more bearable than the former and I still get eyes that say I made the wrong choice because they can't live my life.
I totally agree. In the past, I too have left a higher paying job for a less paying one. I had people say I made a mistake too but in the end it turned out well for me. The work environment and the people you work with or for can make a huge difference. Looking at a different persoective, as much as I like my current job there will probably be a time where I will do something else. The physical part of my job is taking a toll on me and eventually I will need to do something less physical. No job is worth losing your mental or physical well being!
It is true that there are moments in our life that we felt we are not happy with what we are doing. But one thing I am sure is that not all days we do have this feeling so we just bare with it and try to enjoy the job that we have.
I agree too that we become happy as we were able to help others. Indeed helping or making others happy will give us a feeling of happiness too.
Yeah, but I don't think making others feel happy is a prerequisite to job satisfaction unless your job really depends on making others feel happy. I think job satisfaction has more to do with aligning your sense of purpose to what you actually do then get remuneration for it.
Good read
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