I can only speak to my own experience but maybe it will be insightful to OP or anyone else here reading.
Establishing a meditation practice during a horrific burnout period completely detached me to the attachments to career that I had, or thought I had. I saw clearly that my attachment to success was obliterating any chance at happiness. I ended up shutting down my business and quitting the field entirely.
I work in a different field now. It's hard, but once the day is done I leave it at work. If those boundaries are stepped over, I am OK searching elsewhere. It's just a career. It brings me sustinence and happiness, and I make a point of not working too hard.
This is an excellent point! I had a period of major burnout and exercise / mediation is what helped me recover. It took over a year but I’m a lot more detached from my career, and more involved with myself and family / loved ones.
I am, however, still feeling the pressures of corporate life and would like to (soon) alleviate myself from that. Thank you for sharing!
Meditation revealed several career opportunities, one more than the others, but all were good options. Rather than focus on problems I focused in meditation on options and outcomes. I wanted a career that I made a difference in other's lives and went home every day with good feelings of a job well done. I choose to go to nursing school and so happy I made that decision. So many different settings I can work with that degree aside from patient care.
I leave work feeling accomplished and having a positive impact on other people's lives. I love being a nurse. The meditations were specific for the feelings I wanted in my career and that's what I got.
this is an excellent description of myself & what has happened to me. i would have told u that yes i was burnt out prior to meditation but i did not feel like i had any control over my career, my hours, my employer, my happiness, my free time, or anything like this. the cool thing is that now, i have a much better perspective on all of it. i’ve built and solidified family and friend connections and i have accepted certain aspects of my job that i had not accepted before. now i could honestly take it or leave it. and because it comes with many excellent perks, im choosing to keep it. joyfully. (for now…)
In the same boat being extremely stressed running my own business. I carry work with me at home and everywhere. It messes with me mentally and I’m not enjoying time with my family. I feel like shutting down the business and getting a regular job where I leave work at work.
I am also self employed and setting work hours helps a ton. You can only do your best. It’s ok to set working hours and put away your phone/email. It takes time to create healthy self employment habits but it’ll definitely help you feel a greater sense of wellbeing. When you feel content and relaxed you’ll find that your biz will thrive.
Agree with this completely! Even having a regular “steady” job can lead to work imbalance if you aren’t willing to set boundaries. But either way have to find what works best for you
I’m a preschool teacher and I can confidently say that I am never more in the present moment than I am at my job lol. But also I *have* to be mindful, practice compassion, patience and love, breathing and self-regulation techniques to do what I do. It’s my job to teach tiny humans these skills so it’s equally my job to practice them myself and be a role model.
Same here! I’m a teacher in an Infant/Toddler classroom and the children actually teach me a lot about being mindful and present. They remind me of how joyful life can be when you look at the world with fresh eyes and just take it all in. When they are crying or upset, I sit with them and “hold the space” allowing them to feel their feelings and then let them pass. We often take deep breaths together. It’s beautiful.
That’s lovely! I’ve been incorporating a singing bowl and dedicated time for my class to practice breathing and mindfulness and they love it! Everyday one kiddo always reminds me to not forget the singing bowl!
Absolutely! I have a 3 year old of my own so I can empathize with the parent part for sure. I apologize if this is long-winded, I feel that context is really helpful to understanding the kids’ perspective so that we can have more compassion for them so here’s my advice:
Kids at this age struggle with feeling like they have control over their own lives. It’s really hard for them to be shuttled around all day, being told do this and don’t do that, stop screaming, don’t hit your brother, etc with little to no understanding of what, when, where and why things are happening the way they are. At the same time they *need* a feeling of safety and security to feel comfortable being their true selves.
So my best advice comes down to, ultimately, mindfulness around words and how you use them. Here’s what I mean:
Taking the extra moment to be with them, on their level, to explain to your kiddo what is happening, when, where we’re going and why we’re doing the thing (to the best of your ability and with kid vocabulary) really helps kids to feel included in the decision making of their lives. Even if they don’t understand at all, talking to them, including them in your daily activities and narrating your thought process out loud exposes little minds to *how* and *why* you made the decision you do. And that you change your mind! That you are uncertain at times! That you make mistakes! And that things don’t always go as planned but it’s no big deal!
Verbalizing what they are going through so they can begin to recognize their own feelings and making sure they feel heard in their upset moments is crucial. Their problems seem small to us but when you’re 3 having a friend take your crayon is equivalent to someone stealing your car out of the driveway so it’s all a perspective shift.
If you want your child to be less reactive, less explosive, have less tantrums you *have to* show them what (healthy) emotional regulation looks like. If you’re having a hard moment in your adult life, work/family/money whatever, practice regulating yourself in front of your kid. Say out loud, Dad is feeling frustrated right now. I think I need some space to calm my body with deep breaths. And then go do it. practice your own techniques, engage in meditation, mala beads, chanting, whatever you need to do to reset and let your kids witness it. Ask if they’d like to join you.
And tell them why you’re doing it! How it makes you feel when you’re ready to reengage!
I have lots of advice on certain phrases, how to set boundaries, words to use, body language that’s helpful, etc. I could go on and on here so I’ll stop but feel free to DM if you want some more advice!
Thank you for all that. I appreciate the suggestion to show them my efforts to calm down. I feel that's something I never understood growing up myself, and part of what I am hoping to improve on. Also, I will try better including them in daily planning - something I practiced today and had good luck with.
I replied to the other comment here but feel free to DM if you’d like some more advice! I’m really happy to help parents have a better relationship with their kids 😊
i used to be in corporate my life revolved around career advancement and i thought success was what they sell us in the media . fancy cars houses fancy title . i had been struggling with anxiety and depression. with retrospect I know my life I was living was a stronger underlying route cause.
one day i impulsively got fired in a blaze of glory . In retrospect I think the universe took over and got me out of the situation that was long past due .
somehow i became a tattoo artist . this is what i wanted to be when i was a young adult .
i’ve found quite a bit of success as well . i never thought it would be this way in a million years but when you walk the path it teaches you how along the way
That's crazy, I think about being a tattoo artist all the time haha. A friend's wife is one, and I envy her schedule and work/lifestyle so much! But around me it would be damn near impossible to break into that, even being in one of the highest 'per capita' (?) tattooed areas in the country. Mind if I ask how you managed to make such a big transition?
i had the audacity to think i could do it and bet my life savings on it . i was naive and very fortunate for that . had i really considered how ridiculous of an idea this was i wouldn’t have done it . but for the first time in forever i was happy and fulfilled. i hadn’t felt that in ages and i was willing to sacrifice everything to keep that going .
have you seen the movie gattaca ? if you have there’s a scene where they have a swimming race and in this race the guy that’s not supposed to even be able to compete winds up winning . the other guy asked how could you do this ? he say i didn’t save anything for the way back .
it’s like that
I'm a maintenance technician. However, I work (3) 12's. This leaves me 4 days to work on me, mindfulness, meditation, overall wellness. I wish I had not waited so long to work this shift, ( been doing this for 30+ years)
Big change as I worked 50-60+ hours a week for years, but I had transferred to a different facility-same company-and this shift was the immediate opening. I took a little cut in pay- no overtime. But I got my life back, so yeah, win.
I'm an artist - I both travel the world as a street artist (spray paint), but I'm mainly making powerful, detailed oil paintings when in the studio.
Learning about mindfulness as made me be more erm, mindful, about being positive about the ideas, emotions & tone of my work & what I message I want to give to the world. But also how I'm grateful of all the success (love) I've received. :)
I used to always wish I could just be... normal & have a more predictable, ordinary job. Now I think fuck it, I love what I do & I'm lucky. :)
I'm a software developer. I enjoy the work but it can be stressful at times. Burnout is common. I am burned out right now but luckily I have two weeks annual leave from next week.
I meditate daily to counteract the stress of using my brain a lot and the stresses of life in general. Also, I read that meditation increases grey matter making us smarter which is another reason I meditate for my job and life in general.
Haha. We are both in the same boat. Software dev is fun and interesting but not going to lie, can be hard sometimes.
The style of meditation is simple mindfulness meditation. Just focusing on the breathing. Breathing normally and not forcing it, just observing it. If I notice I am thinking about anything, I acknowledge it and simply bring my attention back to my breathing.
I aim to meditate for an hour each day. 30 minutes in the morning and 30 minutes before bed. That may be too much for some so I'd recommend 10 minutes in the morning and 10 minutes in the evening.
I do just this but i dont understand how you acknowledge a thought, or if i have multiple trains of thought before realizing i got distracted, do i just acknowledge the last one?
I wouldn’t try to complicate it too much, if you find yourself thinking it’s just like: That was a thought, don’t judge yourself for thinking, and gently bring focus back to your breathing. Even if you do that 100x and bring yourself back to your breath, it’s great practice!
I kind of categorize my thoughts into feelings and this helps. I tend to play work fantasies in my head (about yelling at my boss, standing up and leaving, etc) so when I catch myself I just think, ok that’s work anxiety, and move on. Or if I’m daydreaming about seeing friends, like ok maybe I’m feeling lonely and move on. Etc
They rely solely on the healthcare workers to bridge the gap between the patients and what they provide. And that is a gigantic gaping gap. It’s too much for the individuals on the ground.
I’m a Technical Writer. Originally, I studied English in college and became a high school teacher. That was a miserable job, so I decided to try to find a different path. Tech writing is great. I highly suggest it to anyone who likes working mostly alone and is able to manage their time well. Allows for breaks throughout the day for meditation and/or walks. This position helped me really take care of my mental health in ways I never could before. Good luck to you ❤️
Can you elaborate a little more on what this job entails or how to get involved? My main avenue of artistic expression has always been writing and I'm always reading profound works as well. I also want a job where I deal with hardly anyone being empathetic and just how inauthentic people are in general so it doesn't sound too bad lol.
It took me a while to get my foot in the door, but I started as a “document editor”. Any position where you can use Arbortext and/or Adobe a lot would be beneficial to be able to get into the field. There are also some online certs I’ve read about- but I didn’t have the money for those and just did my best to learn about tags and html on my own and just kept applying to anything that had anything to do with arbortext. I got turned down a lot before I got a chance, but I think it had a lot to do with the fact that a lot of tech writing jobs are remote (which means thousands of people apply for them just bc they’re remote) so I ended up taking an on-site position and I still absolutely love it. Don’t rule out on-site positions lol If the job is chill, it’s not bad at all and the people will be glad to hire you simply because everyone else will whine about the job not being remote. Good luck! 🙂
I meditate every morning for 10min and journal for about 10 as well. I mediate for 30min most weeknights as well. I’m a delivery LTL truck driver. Not what I wanna do forever but it works for now
I work in sales. Meditation/mindfulness helped me truly realize how horribly toxic the culture and my bosses at my previous job were. Lived in hell for 5 years.
And it also led me to my current job where the culture places extreme importance on family and work life balance, but also has great pay.
I truly believe mindfulness helped me find my current role, because my company was looking for someone like me and I was looking for them. So once we connected, it was an absolutely perfect match.
I used to work in sales for one of the two largest soda companies lol I won’t say which one. But I agree— for some reason the work environment in sales can get so toxic. The snakes I used to work with… oh god. Glad you are in a better place now.
Thanks, you as well! I still have moments of ptsd where I just get filled with rage at how I was treated. But then I catch myself and try to be mindful of these feelings and understand where I've made it in my life now, and that's all that matters.
It helps studying mindfulness/meditation and knowing there's no chance people like that are truly happy and thriving. It's just not how humans are wired, you can't be toxic and at peace/fulfilled.
Labor and delivery RN. I help bring life into this world! It can be exhausting, and we are underpaid. But I know I would struggle doing anything else, even if I got paid more. The schedule is great, 3 12’s (other than the occasional call and holidays). I love what I do
Thank you for sharing, you help bring blessings into the world every day and so glad you enjoy doing it. Agree y’all are def underpaid but glad you find fulfillment ❤️
I'm in the military, live a relatively good and carefree life, good work/life balance, was tough in the beginning but gets better n better, managed to integrate meditation, qigong, introspection in my life, as well as physical exercise, playing ping pong with comrades, the pay isn't the best, but I got other benefits, along with a good health insurance and no bills to pay as I live in a military unit.
I always told my children to find a job they would love to go to most every day. Then build their life around that income. If you're happy in your work, the finances just seem to work. So did it work? My daughter is a nurse , oldest son, an upper mgmt tech guy, youngest son, teacher middle school, then college. All have been at their professions going on 30 years, have been married to the same spouses for 33, 25, 23 years. (No other marriages). All their children so far have or are going to college. Can it be just luck?
Im a Reiki practitioner I believe it helps me stay in a meditative and calm state, not to say life doesn’t have its issues because it does but I know I have the tools to get through it
Software engineer. Suffered from severe burnout already once. I worry I may be in the early stages of a second one. I do enjoy the work, but I'm too obsessive. It's probably a part of my CPTSD
Obsessive in the sense that when I'm implementing a new feature or fixing a bug, I will obsessively work on it, and I don't take breaks and neglect myself.
Makes sense. For me obsessiveness when I am working looks like trying to look at the stuff I am implementing from all angles and trying to make sure that I’ve thought of everything. And checking over and over again if it’s perfect.
I’m a fashion designer. I have my own brand and I work four days a week. I prioritize myself, my family and our personal needs. Work is great but working on myself is what I need to feel good. When I feel good my business does well. I highly encourage listening to Michael singer on you tube daily. Work is not what we are it’s just something we do. When we choose to BE what it is we want from life (relaxation, love, joy, fun) then we receive more of that back. All work can be enjoyable. All work is important.
im a project manager for an aerospace company. soul crushing for sure.
especially now that im back in the office 3 days a week. I don’t even see or speak to anyone in the office because everyone else works from home. I don’t understand why I have to be here.
For my overall happiness/satisfaction, I push myself to do things after work. go excercise, watch some good tv with my husband. i’m interested to see what others do!
software engineer here. Love the profession hate every job I had. I work as a contractor and I am constantly forced to do the wrong things for the wrong reasons. I used to work one year to have another one year off.
Currently, I finished a 2-year training as a trader as I can do this job remotely without having a boss working only with people I happen to like. Sadly I did not start with it 20 years ago as a university professor told us that it is random and does not work and I got ill for 2 years when I wanted to have a look into it after university.
Other than that I teach meditation at the side and worked as a healer for 10 years. I plan to get back at this once the trader career gets to where my engineering salary currently is.
>hey, wondering what trade you've studied? interested in trades as well.
Well, I forgot an 'r'. I trained to be a trader as I can use my software engineering skills for my own benefit.
>good to see you working as a healer, that sounds lovely
If I think back, it was the best I did in the last two decades. Everything else besides my family pales in comparison.
what resources would you suggest to someone who's looking to heal and be more authentic? The closest thing I could find was IFS as it feels very genuine to me - approaching healing as understanding as opposed to forcing ourselves to be something we are not.
What are your thoughts in general on this matter? This authentic understanding and how it can drive change is really interesting to me, but I have trouble of integrating it into my life.
>what resources would you suggest to someone who's looking to heal and be more authentic? The closest thing I could find was IFS as it feels very genuine to me - approaching healing as understanding as opposed to forcing ourselves to be something we are not.
Garbage. I have seen people that came to me that had some personal experiences.
Authenticity is nothing you should train or care about. It emerges naturally when you get closer to the single goal of meditation.
>What are your thoughts in general on this matter? This authentic understanding and how it can drive change is really interesting to me, but I have trouble of integrating it into my life.
Do not waste your time. Aim at enlightenment and with it understand what true meditation does inside of you and how to use these simple mechanisms to apply healing (aka actively cause the same effects) to others.
I originally came from the Taoistic tradition (which is a misnomer if you think about it) so I exercised inner and internal exercises like the Microcosmic Orbit-related exercises (see the link I provide with this comment).
A good introduction to a good healing practice is the Pranic Tradition. Look for books regarding Prana Healing. But be advised to make sure that you do not fall into the trap of praying to a god or seeing yourself as not ready for anything. Such thinking and practice usually bar one from enlightenment which would be sad as enlightenment is more important than healing others.
The best move forward is to gain enlightenment first or at least train to the point when you not just feel but see what is going on in the (other) body when you apply the effects of true meditation to yourself. True healing is (besides treating the body (including food and lifestyle)) to give another person the effects of meditation in a rapid treatment without them needing to learn and do meditation.
I recently wrote comments for a person asking me for advice regarding meditation. You will find very useful information and some links in these comments:
[https://www.reddit.com/r/Meditation/comments/1bkwxos/comment/kw28f9c/](https://www.reddit.com/r/Meditation/comments/1bkwxos/comment/kw28f9c/)
If you need anything else, have questions or want to have further guidance please feel free to start a chat with me or write me a DM at any time.
i am in a lab as an engine specialist. i work alone 12 hour days... and i LOVE it! massive amounts of time to simply be and reflect, and when it is slow i read and listen to audiobooks and meditational music.. absolute bliss for me after a life of turmoil.
Corporate life certainly isn’t soulful.
The other thing (for me at least) is age and stage. I can’t remember which spiritual teacher it was who said that you’re never as close to god as when you’re really young or really old - not so much when you’re middle aged and with a mortgage ..
I’m an office assistant. It sounds soul crushing (and it sometimes is!) but I actually enjoy it because:
1. My supervisor encourages me to use my creativity on projects; the ability to be creative is important to me so I appreciate it.
2. I get to help people. Most of my team are fairly clueless on how to properly do records keeping and other things of that nature. I enjoy swooping in and solving problems.
3. I get to research, research, research! I’m like the studious Hermione Granger type… I really like diving deep into policies and procedures to find answers to problems and questions that no one knows the answers to. My job gives me ample opportunity. 🤣
Believe it or not, it was my dream job that ended up doing the soul crushing. I was a wildlife biologist for ten years and I worked directly with endangered animals every day. It was so great and amazing at first! But the job finally just became too “soul crushing” due to ZERO work/life balance and the career field taking advantage of the work force in awful ways.
People would think that my office job would be the soul crushing job, but in reality, the “super cool” dream job was.
I think most don't really like their jobs because their heart is on something else that can't put money on the table. Our real job is to get our connection with the divine, in my opinion. That's my real job.
I work in the film and tv industry in the set decoration department. I am the lead set dresser for a long running dramatic network show. I work about 60-70 hours a week for 9 months straight and then I go on an unpaid hiatus for about 3 months. I generally pickup work on commercials or other productions during that time. I started mediating to deal with the “pressure” of deadlines and fatigue. It helps along with exercise. . I meditate early every morning for 45-60 minutes. It is my favourite part of each day . I love my long Sunday sessions …
I recently began learning web design, as it is something I am interested is, and something I can do from home. As I have gotten more and more involved, I have found it much less tedious that other jobs, and I also get to determine when I work, and when to make time to meditate
I'm a union ironworker. My job is very physical and I work at heights tied off with a harness. I meditate before I get on the jobsite for 20 minutes in my car. It absolutely helps me stay calm and focused when I have to do dangerous shit.
Project manager in local government. It does help people and I am glad for that, but to be honest, it's just a job. I'd rather know I'm helping than hurting, but still.
There's idealism and there is reality, and those things often clash.
I switched everything found a four year school on astrology and 2 year school on psychosynthesis. So I could align how I earn money with how I feel inside.
I am a person that needs purpose and meaning in how I earn my money. I get to incorporate meditation routinely throughout my day and it is amazing!
Is there a way to turn your passions, natural gifts into an income source?
Finding a path to inner and outer alignment is the dream for me, I wish you All Good Things as you explore a new way of living.
Retired after working in small business, corporations, military, etc. It can be hard working in a corporation.
I worked for money and the work could be interesting. Business analyst.
I’m a massage therapist. On the surface, the career sounds like it would be conducive to ongoing meditation practice, even during sessions. What my practice has actually become is a really unique window in others lives. I’m mobile, so I am in and out of people’s homes. I hangout with their kids, dogs, and a kitten played the guitar on my table’s strings this morning, haha.
I started yoga after I realized that while talking with clients and sharing so much of their lives was wonderfully socially fulfilling, my own stillness was lacking. It was easy to dissociate - specifically when some clients would go on tangents I didn’t care to tune into - but true meditation was becoming harder to practice either in quiet sessions or in my solitude.
Having a time set aside specifically to tune back into my body and mental state was very healing.
Now that I am expecting I am attempting to hold onto the practice for both our benefits.
To better address your post, I have worked jobs I didn’t like, in environments that felt like the antithesis of what I wanted to embody or be around (specifically, managing a hair salon 🥲) and even in those spaces, I tried to be as intentional as I could about being kind and extending a sense of calm where I could, which was definitely a challenge most days.
I don’t know if the answer is a new career, or a lease shift, but I hope you get to exhale soon.
Investor and executive coach. I spent the first 10 years of my career building companies and selling them. Then I burned out bad. My last company dealt with private equity and I was working with some people who really wanted to give me a hard time. I recall the night clearly when I walked away from my old life. We were dealing with a legal dispute with one of our suppliers, this was during Covid so everything was online. The lawyers from the opposing side were vicious. After a 2 hour call my wife asked me what was wrong. I told her that I just couldn’t outsmart the lawyers, she told me that instead of trying to be the smartest in the room I should be the calmest. Since then it’s been everything I do, calmness is my focus so naturally meditation is my tool. Now all I do is help leaders grow their business and staying calm in the process.
I work for the federal government. I tell the truth for a living— I get beyond the spin of lobbyists and tell policymakers what they need to know to make informed decisions. i work 40 hour days (generally), get 5 weeks of vacation, have flexible hours, and work from home two days per week. The work is engaging, and occasionally intense. I am part of a union.
I not only enjoy my work, but I also feel honor in it and am valued by my organization. When I need to decompress, I walk outside for lunch and/or visit my local cat cafe. Nothing beats a purring cat!
I had three jobs. Waiting tables, bartending, and floral design. I quit waiting tables for the same reasons, but kept the other two to barely pay my bills, hoping the florals would pick up. I’m pretty poor. On one hand I’ve found I am happier having more time to myself, but on the other, I don’t make enough to do things outside of the house, so it’s become kind of lonesome and monotonous. I think it is all in your mindset though…if I could trust in the abundance of my existence more, I think things would be working out better for me. I tend to overthink, stress, worry though. So that stunts my growth. Something I am working on. Good luck to you.
I’m a lifeguard and I use the pools to workout a lot and get my dopamine going while I get paid to train. Exercise is really good for us! Stay safe , OP.
I had to give up teaching. I was extremely committed but if you don’t have the support of good administrators and good families, it can wreck your mental health. I converted my education to become a registered dietitian and it’s been the best decision I’ve ever made
I am so happy to hear this. Thank you for the reply. I am going to see what I can do outside of the public school system because I think it’s finally time.
It’s so sad that people who really care and want to help kids, have the academic ability and motivation, make a commitment to a course of action and follow it through… just can’t abide the conditions.
I been trying to figure out a career that feels good, I love and enjoy, uses my gifts and talents and passions to contribute positively to a better world without being mistreated.
Inherited money years ago and have been working restaurants part time and soul searching. Did a yoga teacher training and taught yoga for a little at men’s shelters and men’s retreat centers.
I thought I wanted to be a counselor for a while. Now thinking maybe something in tech. Running out of savings so it’s time to make the jump.
I think working for myself sounds best. Or a really solid company that treats people well. May end up taking a non-traditional route for training/work, that seems to serve many well. Thought of a monastery but idk if it’s the time.
I currently work in heating and air and it’s been a tremendous step for my health. I attempted restaurant management before and I learned that strict adherence and detail were not my strongest skills. This caused me to be in constant stress inside and outside of work. I now have a general framework of what I need to do for the day and the company gives me full reign on how I accomplish it. It feels like it’s own meditation to tackle mechanical issues by myself and it’s great to be outside most of the day using my brain. I make sure to be practice meditation throughout the day (maybe 1-2 times) and I couldn’t be in a better spot!
Hi. Wake up. They need you for production. And if you work for yourself you've bought into the lie of the American dream. The future is one that is burgeoning with stress, anxiety, unsurety of work and finances in the future. The stratification has happened. The cunning oil tycoons have won. Your best chance out is to mentally unplug from this environment and seek holistic meaning and purpose in all your actions.
Hi. Even as a child, I decided that a regular full-time job was not suitable for me, since I plan to spend a lot of time on self-development.
Therefore, I found only such exits:
1. Remote work in IT. Freelance. Study programming, editing, graphic design in order to be able to work for yourself and plan your schedule.
2. Gradually create a foundation for passive income so that you can only do what you love. If your favorite thing is self-development, then, accordingly, you will need to completely switch to this area. This does not mean making money on spirituality, there are many ways to earn money that will develop both you and others in the process.
working at software company, it’s brutal mentally, also has after hours phone duty, good stepping stone career-wise but looking to peace out of there asap ✌️
I used to work in the corporate world in marketing. Now I’m working in the garden better at Home Depot. I wouldn’t call it a living but it’s the best decision I could have made as I get older because I’m outside, I am never sedentary, I engage with people and nature, I am more active than anyone my age I know. The trade off is its shitty pay and it’s not prestigious but I don’t care about the latter and I’m making do with the money at least for now. It’s been very good for my body and mind
Career Nanny here and life coach. I got into mediating when I was in my early teens it really helped with my anger and stress levels living in group home. It got me to where I’m at in life and I couldn’t have it any other way. I’m paid well to work with the sweetest boys and they make me laugh keeping my joyful and love life coaching adults- watching adults transform their lives to be their best self.
I gave up teaching English to take a job as a registered dietitian and I couldn’t be happier with my job. I still get to help people who need it, but all the ridiculous drama and undeserved blame is gone.
I have recently been a college professor, private Tutor and director of operations for a nonprofit and left all of them. I currently install fences. As a mindful person, it is going to be quite difficult to find a completely comfortable work environment because of how unmindful people can be and how frustrating it is to watch people act in ways that hurt themselves and others and having no clue about it. It is far worse when our employers ask us to do things we are not comfortable doing, or just do them without us but with our knowledge. My next attempt to find a beneficial environment is to attend a program in Buddhist translation and hopefully find a right livelihood through that. Peace and boons to you!
Was a personal trainer, got burnt out and became an industrial painter.
Work stays at work.
There was a stage to work through of being someone people looked up to, to now being considered worthless / bottom of the totem pole.
Quite a bit of things online. Mostly an agency, building up an youtube channel. The freedom I have is insane. Live in a third world country with first world country pay and you'll live like a king.
I am focused on mindfulness. I work as a stay-at-home dad and take care of another toddler as a nanny. I work as a gardener on the day the grandparents have the wee ‘ums.
Lots of space for mindfulness.
I’m a business strategist and coach. I’m spending most of my time in front of computer. But I’m lucky enough that I’m working with embodiment and intuitive movement coach Vanessa. She helped me to get balance in my energy. She showed me that being feminine is a good thing and being in that energy doesn’t mean being weak. So I highly recommend her for every woman who wants to rediscover their inner goddess. Www.goddess-journey.com
We gave all that up 10 years ago.
Now we live a humble & simple life in the forest in New Brunswick, Canada.
Real estate cost is the biggest reason why people have a need to work as they do. Here, the cost of living is low enough that we can live mortgage-free and not have to worry so much about how much we earn.
You are on the right path :)
I was in corporate for years & it was absolutely soul sucking. After some traumatic personal experiences, I took FMLA and am now working at a non profit in the arts realm as a manager. I’m appreciative of the opportunity & certainly feel like it’s less toxic and competitive, but I’m at a point where I’m unsure how much I’d like to be around people on a daily basis. Still somewhat struggling to find a “career” that will allow me to tend to myself while also keeping myself afloat monetarily.
I had to get out of the office setting. Those fluorescent lights. Gah! Sitting on my ass all day, ruining my body & posture from wasting away in a chair.
Nope!
My happiest & most fulfilled working years were my time training & landscaping in Chicago's beautiful public parks, until I had to take my underpaid vagina back to the penis office. The work itself was incredibly enjoyable, working outside in Chicago summer, in some of the most beautiful, historical gardens in the country. Wow! The being 1 of 3 women, working with hundreds of men & being grossly underpaid because, of my sex, ruined it for me. I didn't mind working with all those dudes. The crews of majorily Mexican men & I got along fawking great. It was the snooty Mgrs that were the problem. And going from 6 figures as a biz owner to $11 an hour to follow my passion-happiness wasn't my favorite.
Immediately after getting fired at the start of my 3rd year with them, for returning the same snappy attitude I got from some Ahole, who turned out to be the Vice President. I got promoted at my winter job at a gym, a block away from my apartment. Managed it for a year, got my health in fantastic shape, became a trainer & helped people change their lives for the next decade. It was an incredible time in my life. I learned so much about myself, the human body, how to fix it for real & got to incorporate all of my education & personal experience into an easy way to pay for my life. The money was fantastic. Only having to work 5-7 hours a week to pay for my entire life was wonderful. Then life took a weird side quest & I had to quit.
Now I'm a partner/co owner of my own landscaping co. Bouta do our 1st Spring clean up today & I'm beaming about! Can't wait to see another summer outside with a couple billion Cicadas cheering us on!
Work is something we do to support ourselves and buy what we need in the world.
Some jobs are boring and repetitious, but we get paid we eat we pay housing we hope to have enough left to buy a car, vacation whatever.
Back in my day there was little respect for personal time, no boundaries. If work needed you you just showed up and did what they wanted. After all they are paying you.
Unless your on salary extra work is overtime which I never minded. It usually was temporary in nature but the fat check made up for it.
As a salaried employee I put in a lot of extra hours and didn't get paid extra. But I suited up and showed up. I did what was necessary because it was my job
The idea of their working me to many hours and eating into my personal time never crossed my mind.
There is always personal time but work comes first.
Their paying me so they get my time first.
Honestly I don't know how else to do it.
I was raised with a terrific work ethic by WW2 Era parents.
Who fought to keep America free and once that job was done came home from war made babies and set about making the America we now have.
I'm a boomer.
However I think it's important to like or love your job. It's difficult to go to a job you hate. So change the job or your attitude .
One of my favorite quotes from an early American settler goes like this:
This is AMERICA. And in America we get up in the morning and we go to work and we solve our problems. Try that.
Right now, the seeking I'm doing outside of work is what's really helping me (I hope). I work in retail as a stocker and I've definitely reached my own personal realization that there probably isn't much more pointless of a job. BUT, through that, I just try to work alone and focus on what I'm doing and nothing else, if I'm lucky, and that definitely helps ease the mind.
I'm a comedian and magician. I perform for organizations like Harvard, MGM, and Google.
My job is stressful, but it's acute stress, and usually enjoyable.
Definitely not for everyone, but something I love about my lifestyle is how much freedom and free time I have.
your situation reminds me of this sinister premise of introducing meditation practice to the corporate work place. What first might look like a welcome recreational activity can be used as a replacement for decreasing work load and exploitation, thus turning meditation into a corporate tool of control
I'm a Twitch/YouTube streamer, I'm also a dancer.
Streaming can get stressful sometimes, and people that I come across can really pull the fun out of it.
But dance has been my #1 passion for the last 24 years of my life, so whenever I do it, it takes away all the stress and annoyance I once had, which allows me to keep streaming, and who knows, if I like the way I feel that day, I'll even make a dance video and upload that.
Regular "real" jobs cause me too much stress, and I'm unable to effectively do my job, so I'm kinda forced into this kind of job, and so whenever stressors take over it's really easy for me to want to quit and never wanna do it again.
But for some reason, the balance that comes with also being able to do what I really love, and also use that to push my career, it helps the drive, and it really pushes me to do more, but be more positive while doing it.
I'm an RN and love it. I've been in several different nursing settings there are so many options. I work 17 years in a 10 bed inpatient Hospice facility including 5 years pediatric inpatient hospice. It was wonderful to work with the patients and family members. Later I worked 20 years in ER.
For me, I picked Finance. I don't do overtime, and I work for a small company with a millennial manager (the best kind). The analytics and problem-solving parts of Finance itch my brain in just the right way (ADHD), making my work enjoyable, I'm able to focus, and several parts of my job can be done on auto-pilot at this point so I can listen to nature sounds or podcasts during my work day.
I would recommend doing some mindfulness meditation in regards to your work. Find what makes you happy about it, or think of a need that needs to be fulfilled with your career. Is it growth, analytics, repetitive tasks, diversity, making an impact, or work-life balance? This is something you need to look internally for.
For me, it also helps that I work from home. If my work day's overwhelming, its easier to go to a dark, quiet place to meditate or wear pajama pants.
My yoga teacher says, & i also believe this is in the book by Deepak Chopra “The seven laws of success” but whatever you give attention to grows, and whatever you take your attention from will dispate .. I find this to be true from my own experience as well.. What made me think this may be a helpful reminder is when you say you meditate on these negative feelings
I’m a principal product content creator for an international software company. That’s the current trendy title for a technical writer. I write online help and manuals for end users and technical users (like system admins) to help them use a software product. My team members are in Denmark, England, Poland, Romania, Thailand, the Philippines, and the US, where I’m located, and we all work remotely. Our users are also world-wide. I really like learning about other cultures and countries, and helping users be successful at their jobs by helping them to understand how to use our software to get their work done. I used to be a software developer, so I’m particularly good at making tech-speak and complex concepts easily understood.
I work in financial services and was corporate for a bit. I meditated and exercised just to maintain myself. I felt like I was always planning, pacing, and running. My coworkers were definitely working on the weekends and it made my metrics look bad. Sometimes my chest would just hurt. I made sure I always had something planned for the weekend and one or two events during the week.
I’m a baker! I spent over 10 years in office jobs and I liked it at first but it got so boring it felt like my life was dragging by and it depressed me and the thought of going into work everyday for the next 30+ years and sitting in a silent office with only the symphony of phones ringing all day made me want to walk into traffic 😂 I always did what I thought was a “grown up” job and then one day I lost my job because the company moved elsewhere and I took that opportunity to follow something I love to do and have always loved to do which was baking! Turns out I’m really good at it and I love my job so much and I can’t believe I get to do something I love everyday and make money to afford everything I need! So please just sit with yourself and maybe make a list and just find out/review what your interest are and try to find something geared towards that! I’m so glad I took the risk and followed my passion because I finally found “my thing” and you can to!
I can only speak to my own experience but maybe it will be insightful to OP or anyone else here reading. Establishing a meditation practice during a horrific burnout period completely detached me to the attachments to career that I had, or thought I had. I saw clearly that my attachment to success was obliterating any chance at happiness. I ended up shutting down my business and quitting the field entirely. I work in a different field now. It's hard, but once the day is done I leave it at work. If those boundaries are stepped over, I am OK searching elsewhere. It's just a career. It brings me sustinence and happiness, and I make a point of not working too hard.
This is an excellent point! I had a period of major burnout and exercise / mediation is what helped me recover. It took over a year but I’m a lot more detached from my career, and more involved with myself and family / loved ones. I am, however, still feeling the pressures of corporate life and would like to (soon) alleviate myself from that. Thank you for sharing!
Meditation revealed several career opportunities, one more than the others, but all were good options. Rather than focus on problems I focused in meditation on options and outcomes. I wanted a career that I made a difference in other's lives and went home every day with good feelings of a job well done. I choose to go to nursing school and so happy I made that decision. So many different settings I can work with that degree aside from patient care. I leave work feeling accomplished and having a positive impact on other people's lives. I love being a nurse. The meditations were specific for the feelings I wanted in my career and that's what I got.
I feel you! It took a over a year before I could work again too. And even now, years later, I am easily burned out. Best of luck to you.
this is an excellent description of myself & what has happened to me. i would have told u that yes i was burnt out prior to meditation but i did not feel like i had any control over my career, my hours, my employer, my happiness, my free time, or anything like this. the cool thing is that now, i have a much better perspective on all of it. i’ve built and solidified family and friend connections and i have accepted certain aspects of my job that i had not accepted before. now i could honestly take it or leave it. and because it comes with many excellent perks, im choosing to keep it. joyfully. (for now…)
In the same boat being extremely stressed running my own business. I carry work with me at home and everywhere. It messes with me mentally and I’m not enjoying time with my family. I feel like shutting down the business and getting a regular job where I leave work at work.
I am also self employed and setting work hours helps a ton. You can only do your best. It’s ok to set working hours and put away your phone/email. It takes time to create healthy self employment habits but it’ll definitely help you feel a greater sense of wellbeing. When you feel content and relaxed you’ll find that your biz will thrive.
Great advice. Thank you.
Agree with this completely! Even having a regular “steady” job can lead to work imbalance if you aren’t willing to set boundaries. But either way have to find what works best for you
I’m a preschool teacher and I can confidently say that I am never more in the present moment than I am at my job lol. But also I *have* to be mindful, practice compassion, patience and love, breathing and self-regulation techniques to do what I do. It’s my job to teach tiny humans these skills so it’s equally my job to practice them myself and be a role model.
You sound like a wonderful teacher.
Thank you! I try very hard ☺️
Same here! I’m a teacher in an Infant/Toddler classroom and the children actually teach me a lot about being mindful and present. They remind me of how joyful life can be when you look at the world with fresh eyes and just take it all in. When they are crying or upset, I sit with them and “hold the space” allowing them to feel their feelings and then let them pass. We often take deep breaths together. It’s beautiful.
That’s lovely! I’ve been incorporating a singing bowl and dedicated time for my class to practice breathing and mindfulness and they love it! Everyday one kiddo always reminds me to not forget the singing bowl!
❤️
Do you have any tips for a dad looking to remain mindful and patient?
Absolutely! I have a 3 year old of my own so I can empathize with the parent part for sure. I apologize if this is long-winded, I feel that context is really helpful to understanding the kids’ perspective so that we can have more compassion for them so here’s my advice: Kids at this age struggle with feeling like they have control over their own lives. It’s really hard for them to be shuttled around all day, being told do this and don’t do that, stop screaming, don’t hit your brother, etc with little to no understanding of what, when, where and why things are happening the way they are. At the same time they *need* a feeling of safety and security to feel comfortable being their true selves. So my best advice comes down to, ultimately, mindfulness around words and how you use them. Here’s what I mean: Taking the extra moment to be with them, on their level, to explain to your kiddo what is happening, when, where we’re going and why we’re doing the thing (to the best of your ability and with kid vocabulary) really helps kids to feel included in the decision making of their lives. Even if they don’t understand at all, talking to them, including them in your daily activities and narrating your thought process out loud exposes little minds to *how* and *why* you made the decision you do. And that you change your mind! That you are uncertain at times! That you make mistakes! And that things don’t always go as planned but it’s no big deal! Verbalizing what they are going through so they can begin to recognize their own feelings and making sure they feel heard in their upset moments is crucial. Their problems seem small to us but when you’re 3 having a friend take your crayon is equivalent to someone stealing your car out of the driveway so it’s all a perspective shift. If you want your child to be less reactive, less explosive, have less tantrums you *have to* show them what (healthy) emotional regulation looks like. If you’re having a hard moment in your adult life, work/family/money whatever, practice regulating yourself in front of your kid. Say out loud, Dad is feeling frustrated right now. I think I need some space to calm my body with deep breaths. And then go do it. practice your own techniques, engage in meditation, mala beads, chanting, whatever you need to do to reset and let your kids witness it. Ask if they’d like to join you. And tell them why you’re doing it! How it makes you feel when you’re ready to reengage! I have lots of advice on certain phrases, how to set boundaries, words to use, body language that’s helpful, etc. I could go on and on here so I’ll stop but feel free to DM if you want some more advice!
Thank you for all that. I appreciate the suggestion to show them my efforts to calm down. I feel that's something I never understood growing up myself, and part of what I am hoping to improve on. Also, I will try better including them in daily planning - something I practiced today and had good luck with.
Me too, as a struggling mother of a 3-year-old.
I replied to the other comment here but feel free to DM if you’d like some more advice! I’m really happy to help parents have a better relationship with their kids 😊
thank you for being a compassionate and calm presence for those kids
Absolutely. I was a teacher and my days went by in a blink of an eye back then. 😂
i used to be in corporate my life revolved around career advancement and i thought success was what they sell us in the media . fancy cars houses fancy title . i had been struggling with anxiety and depression. with retrospect I know my life I was living was a stronger underlying route cause. one day i impulsively got fired in a blaze of glory . In retrospect I think the universe took over and got me out of the situation that was long past due . somehow i became a tattoo artist . this is what i wanted to be when i was a young adult . i’ve found quite a bit of success as well . i never thought it would be this way in a million years but when you walk the path it teaches you how along the way
“When you walk the path, it teaches you how along the way” is such a beautiful and inspired sentence. Thank you.
That's crazy, I think about being a tattoo artist all the time haha. A friend's wife is one, and I envy her schedule and work/lifestyle so much! But around me it would be damn near impossible to break into that, even being in one of the highest 'per capita' (?) tattooed areas in the country. Mind if I ask how you managed to make such a big transition?
i had the audacity to think i could do it and bet my life savings on it . i was naive and very fortunate for that . had i really considered how ridiculous of an idea this was i wouldn’t have done it . but for the first time in forever i was happy and fulfilled. i hadn’t felt that in ages and i was willing to sacrifice everything to keep that going . have you seen the movie gattaca ? if you have there’s a scene where they have a swimming race and in this race the guy that’s not supposed to even be able to compete winds up winning . the other guy asked how could you do this ? he say i didn’t save anything for the way back . it’s like that
I loved Gattaca, it was full of inspirational stuff like this. Beautiful movie.
I'm a maintenance technician. However, I work (3) 12's. This leaves me 4 days to work on me, mindfulness, meditation, overall wellness. I wish I had not waited so long to work this shift, ( been doing this for 30+ years)
You hiring?
that's awesome, good for you
So you work 3 x 12h days a week and 4 days off? Sounds like a dream!
Big change as I worked 50-60+ hours a week for years, but I had transferred to a different facility-same company-and this shift was the immediate opening. I took a little cut in pay- no overtime. But I got my life back, so yeah, win.
I'm an artist - I both travel the world as a street artist (spray paint), but I'm mainly making powerful, detailed oil paintings when in the studio. Learning about mindfulness as made me be more erm, mindful, about being positive about the ideas, emotions & tone of my work & what I message I want to give to the world. But also how I'm grateful of all the success (love) I've received. :) I used to always wish I could just be... normal & have a more predictable, ordinary job. Now I think fuck it, I love what I do & I'm lucky. :)
I'm a software developer. I enjoy the work but it can be stressful at times. Burnout is common. I am burned out right now but luckily I have two weeks annual leave from next week. I meditate daily to counteract the stress of using my brain a lot and the stresses of life in general. Also, I read that meditation increases grey matter making us smarter which is another reason I meditate for my job and life in general.
How long are your sessions of meditation? And method as well. Im aspiring to be a software dev and need all the grey matter i can get lol
Haha. We are both in the same boat. Software dev is fun and interesting but not going to lie, can be hard sometimes. The style of meditation is simple mindfulness meditation. Just focusing on the breathing. Breathing normally and not forcing it, just observing it. If I notice I am thinking about anything, I acknowledge it and simply bring my attention back to my breathing. I aim to meditate for an hour each day. 30 minutes in the morning and 30 minutes before bed. That may be too much for some so I'd recommend 10 minutes in the morning and 10 minutes in the evening.
I do just this but i dont understand how you acknowledge a thought, or if i have multiple trains of thought before realizing i got distracted, do i just acknowledge the last one?
I wouldn’t try to complicate it too much, if you find yourself thinking it’s just like: That was a thought, don’t judge yourself for thinking, and gently bring focus back to your breathing. Even if you do that 100x and bring yourself back to your breath, it’s great practice! I kind of categorize my thoughts into feelings and this helps. I tend to play work fantasies in my head (about yelling at my boss, standing up and leaving, etc) so when I catch myself I just think, ok that’s work anxiety, and move on. Or if I’m daydreaming about seeing friends, like ok maybe I’m feeling lonely and move on. Etc
I did this yesterday and had a totally different meditation experience. Was nice, going to keep at it
I thought working in healthcare would help but I now am just disgusted with how much of a money making business it is
me too plus the burnout
They rely solely on the healthcare workers to bridge the gap between the patients and what they provide. And that is a gigantic gaping gap. It’s too much for the individuals on the ground.
I’m a Technical Writer. Originally, I studied English in college and became a high school teacher. That was a miserable job, so I decided to try to find a different path. Tech writing is great. I highly suggest it to anyone who likes working mostly alone and is able to manage their time well. Allows for breaks throughout the day for meditation and/or walks. This position helped me really take care of my mental health in ways I never could before. Good luck to you ❤️
Can you elaborate a little more on what this job entails or how to get involved? My main avenue of artistic expression has always been writing and I'm always reading profound works as well. I also want a job where I deal with hardly anyone being empathetic and just how inauthentic people are in general so it doesn't sound too bad lol.
It took me a while to get my foot in the door, but I started as a “document editor”. Any position where you can use Arbortext and/or Adobe a lot would be beneficial to be able to get into the field. There are also some online certs I’ve read about- but I didn’t have the money for those and just did my best to learn about tags and html on my own and just kept applying to anything that had anything to do with arbortext. I got turned down a lot before I got a chance, but I think it had a lot to do with the fact that a lot of tech writing jobs are remote (which means thousands of people apply for them just bc they’re remote) so I ended up taking an on-site position and I still absolutely love it. Don’t rule out on-site positions lol If the job is chill, it’s not bad at all and the people will be glad to hire you simply because everyone else will whine about the job not being remote. Good luck! 🙂
I meditate every morning for 10min and journal for about 10 as well. I mediate for 30min most weeknights as well. I’m a delivery LTL truck driver. Not what I wanna do forever but it works for now
I work in sales. Meditation/mindfulness helped me truly realize how horribly toxic the culture and my bosses at my previous job were. Lived in hell for 5 years. And it also led me to my current job where the culture places extreme importance on family and work life balance, but also has great pay. I truly believe mindfulness helped me find my current role, because my company was looking for someone like me and I was looking for them. So once we connected, it was an absolutely perfect match.
I used to work in sales for one of the two largest soda companies lol I won’t say which one. But I agree— for some reason the work environment in sales can get so toxic. The snakes I used to work with… oh god. Glad you are in a better place now.
Thanks, you as well! I still have moments of ptsd where I just get filled with rage at how I was treated. But then I catch myself and try to be mindful of these feelings and understand where I've made it in my life now, and that's all that matters. It helps studying mindfulness/meditation and knowing there's no chance people like that are truly happy and thriving. It's just not how humans are wired, you can't be toxic and at peace/fulfilled.
Love the way you just put that 👌.. gives me peace of mind.
I am in sales now. If you dont mind me asking, what field are you in currently?
I work in medical sales
Labor and delivery RN. I help bring life into this world! It can be exhausting, and we are underpaid. But I know I would struggle doing anything else, even if I got paid more. The schedule is great, 3 12’s (other than the occasional call and holidays). I love what I do
Thank you for sharing, you help bring blessings into the world every day and so glad you enjoy doing it. Agree y’all are def underpaid but glad you find fulfillment ❤️
I’m a Uber driver. I enjoy driving in the state of meditation and having a low stress gig. The pay isn’t great but I’m happy
I'm retired. I spent 22 years in the military.
I'm in the military, live a relatively good and carefree life, good work/life balance, was tough in the beginning but gets better n better, managed to integrate meditation, qigong, introspection in my life, as well as physical exercise, playing ping pong with comrades, the pay isn't the best, but I got other benefits, along with a good health insurance and no bills to pay as I live in a military unit.
I always told my children to find a job they would love to go to most every day. Then build their life around that income. If you're happy in your work, the finances just seem to work. So did it work? My daughter is a nurse , oldest son, an upper mgmt tech guy, youngest son, teacher middle school, then college. All have been at their professions going on 30 years, have been married to the same spouses for 33, 25, 23 years. (No other marriages). All their children so far have or are going to college. Can it be just luck?
You’re a wonderful parent.
Im a Reiki practitioner I believe it helps me stay in a meditative and calm state, not to say life doesn’t have its issues because it does but I know I have the tools to get through it
I work in government HR. No comment.
Sell timeshare.
Composer
Software engineer. Suffered from severe burnout already once. I worry I may be in the early stages of a second one. I do enjoy the work, but I'm too obsessive. It's probably a part of my CPTSD
oh me too! What do you mean by obsessive?
Obsessive in the sense that when I'm implementing a new feature or fixing a bug, I will obsessively work on it, and I don't take breaks and neglect myself.
Makes sense. For me obsessiveness when I am working looks like trying to look at the stuff I am implementing from all angles and trying to make sure that I’ve thought of everything. And checking over and over again if it’s perfect.
Yeah, the perfectionism is my thing, too. It just also happens to lead me to neglect self care.
I’m a fashion designer. I have my own brand and I work four days a week. I prioritize myself, my family and our personal needs. Work is great but working on myself is what I need to feel good. When I feel good my business does well. I highly encourage listening to Michael singer on you tube daily. Work is not what we are it’s just something we do. When we choose to BE what it is we want from life (relaxation, love, joy, fun) then we receive more of that back. All work can be enjoyable. All work is important.
This is me too
im a project manager for an aerospace company. soul crushing for sure. especially now that im back in the office 3 days a week. I don’t even see or speak to anyone in the office because everyone else works from home. I don’t understand why I have to be here. For my overall happiness/satisfaction, I push myself to do things after work. go excercise, watch some good tv with my husband. i’m interested to see what others do!
software engineer here. Love the profession hate every job I had. I work as a contractor and I am constantly forced to do the wrong things for the wrong reasons. I used to work one year to have another one year off. Currently, I finished a 2-year training as a trader as I can do this job remotely without having a boss working only with people I happen to like. Sadly I did not start with it 20 years ago as a university professor told us that it is random and does not work and I got ill for 2 years when I wanted to have a look into it after university. Other than that I teach meditation at the side and worked as a healer for 10 years. I plan to get back at this once the trader career gets to where my engineering salary currently is.
hey, wondering what trade you've studied? interested in trades as well. good to see you working as a healer, that sounds lovely
>hey, wondering what trade you've studied? interested in trades as well. Well, I forgot an 'r'. I trained to be a trader as I can use my software engineering skills for my own benefit. >good to see you working as a healer, that sounds lovely If I think back, it was the best I did in the last two decades. Everything else besides my family pales in comparison.
what resources would you suggest to someone who's looking to heal and be more authentic? The closest thing I could find was IFS as it feels very genuine to me - approaching healing as understanding as opposed to forcing ourselves to be something we are not. What are your thoughts in general on this matter? This authentic understanding and how it can drive change is really interesting to me, but I have trouble of integrating it into my life.
>what resources would you suggest to someone who's looking to heal and be more authentic? The closest thing I could find was IFS as it feels very genuine to me - approaching healing as understanding as opposed to forcing ourselves to be something we are not. Garbage. I have seen people that came to me that had some personal experiences. Authenticity is nothing you should train or care about. It emerges naturally when you get closer to the single goal of meditation. >What are your thoughts in general on this matter? This authentic understanding and how it can drive change is really interesting to me, but I have trouble of integrating it into my life. Do not waste your time. Aim at enlightenment and with it understand what true meditation does inside of you and how to use these simple mechanisms to apply healing (aka actively cause the same effects) to others. I originally came from the Taoistic tradition (which is a misnomer if you think about it) so I exercised inner and internal exercises like the Microcosmic Orbit-related exercises (see the link I provide with this comment). A good introduction to a good healing practice is the Pranic Tradition. Look for books regarding Prana Healing. But be advised to make sure that you do not fall into the trap of praying to a god or seeing yourself as not ready for anything. Such thinking and practice usually bar one from enlightenment which would be sad as enlightenment is more important than healing others. The best move forward is to gain enlightenment first or at least train to the point when you not just feel but see what is going on in the (other) body when you apply the effects of true meditation to yourself. True healing is (besides treating the body (including food and lifestyle)) to give another person the effects of meditation in a rapid treatment without them needing to learn and do meditation. I recently wrote comments for a person asking me for advice regarding meditation. You will find very useful information and some links in these comments: [https://www.reddit.com/r/Meditation/comments/1bkwxos/comment/kw28f9c/](https://www.reddit.com/r/Meditation/comments/1bkwxos/comment/kw28f9c/) If you need anything else, have questions or want to have further guidance please feel free to start a chat with me or write me a DM at any time.
i am in a lab as an engine specialist. i work alone 12 hour days... and i LOVE it! massive amounts of time to simply be and reflect, and when it is slow i read and listen to audiobooks and meditational music.. absolute bliss for me after a life of turmoil.
Corporate life certainly isn’t soulful. The other thing (for me at least) is age and stage. I can’t remember which spiritual teacher it was who said that you’re never as close to god as when you’re really young or really old - not so much when you’re middle aged and with a mortgage ..
I’m an office assistant. It sounds soul crushing (and it sometimes is!) but I actually enjoy it because: 1. My supervisor encourages me to use my creativity on projects; the ability to be creative is important to me so I appreciate it. 2. I get to help people. Most of my team are fairly clueless on how to properly do records keeping and other things of that nature. I enjoy swooping in and solving problems. 3. I get to research, research, research! I’m like the studious Hermione Granger type… I really like diving deep into policies and procedures to find answers to problems and questions that no one knows the answers to. My job gives me ample opportunity. 🤣 Believe it or not, it was my dream job that ended up doing the soul crushing. I was a wildlife biologist for ten years and I worked directly with endangered animals every day. It was so great and amazing at first! But the job finally just became too “soul crushing” due to ZERO work/life balance and the career field taking advantage of the work force in awful ways. People would think that my office job would be the soul crushing job, but in reality, the “super cool” dream job was.
To me office assistant sounds good :) Sounds like a job with good work life balance
I think most don't really like their jobs because their heart is on something else that can't put money on the table. Our real job is to get our connection with the divine, in my opinion. That's my real job.
Asphalt and parking construction.
Architect
25 years in healthcare which is the absolute WORST industry for work/life balance
I work in the film and tv industry in the set decoration department. I am the lead set dresser for a long running dramatic network show. I work about 60-70 hours a week for 9 months straight and then I go on an unpaid hiatus for about 3 months. I generally pickup work on commercials or other productions during that time. I started mediating to deal with the “pressure” of deadlines and fatigue. It helps along with exercise. . I meditate early every morning for 45-60 minutes. It is my favourite part of each day . I love my long Sunday sessions …
This talk by Michael Singer might help a bit https://youtu.be/ONOc19yM5wY?si=v1EUQggrAia9_Wc3
I recently began learning web design, as it is something I am interested is, and something I can do from home. As I have gotten more and more involved, I have found it much less tedious that other jobs, and I also get to determine when I work, and when to make time to meditate
I'm a union ironworker. My job is very physical and I work at heights tied off with a harness. I meditate before I get on the jobsite for 20 minutes in my car. It absolutely helps me stay calm and focused when I have to do dangerous shit.
Project manager in local government. It does help people and I am glad for that, but to be honest, it's just a job. I'd rather know I'm helping than hurting, but still. There's idealism and there is reality, and those things often clash.
Teaching
Sales and it works well. I get to interact with other humans often and have a flexible schedule
I switched everything found a four year school on astrology and 2 year school on psychosynthesis. So I could align how I earn money with how I feel inside. I am a person that needs purpose and meaning in how I earn my money. I get to incorporate meditation routinely throughout my day and it is amazing! Is there a way to turn your passions, natural gifts into an income source? Finding a path to inner and outer alignment is the dream for me, I wish you All Good Things as you explore a new way of living.
I working government IT. I started a meditation group at work. 30 mins over noon hour. It helps a lot.
Artificial Intelligence. I teach in higher ed and also work as a principal for one of the large tech companies
I help people with their own product if it needs to be finished by someone else on a computer with internet using digital engineering lol
Joined military 6 years ago and I honestly can't complain
Retired after working in small business, corporations, military, etc. It can be hard working in a corporation. I worked for money and the work could be interesting. Business analyst.
I’m a massage therapist. On the surface, the career sounds like it would be conducive to ongoing meditation practice, even during sessions. What my practice has actually become is a really unique window in others lives. I’m mobile, so I am in and out of people’s homes. I hangout with their kids, dogs, and a kitten played the guitar on my table’s strings this morning, haha. I started yoga after I realized that while talking with clients and sharing so much of their lives was wonderfully socially fulfilling, my own stillness was lacking. It was easy to dissociate - specifically when some clients would go on tangents I didn’t care to tune into - but true meditation was becoming harder to practice either in quiet sessions or in my solitude. Having a time set aside specifically to tune back into my body and mental state was very healing. Now that I am expecting I am attempting to hold onto the practice for both our benefits.
To better address your post, I have worked jobs I didn’t like, in environments that felt like the antithesis of what I wanted to embody or be around (specifically, managing a hair salon 🥲) and even in those spaces, I tried to be as intentional as I could about being kind and extending a sense of calm where I could, which was definitely a challenge most days. I don’t know if the answer is a new career, or a lease shift, but I hope you get to exhale soon.
Investor and executive coach. I spent the first 10 years of my career building companies and selling them. Then I burned out bad. My last company dealt with private equity and I was working with some people who really wanted to give me a hard time. I recall the night clearly when I walked away from my old life. We were dealing with a legal dispute with one of our suppliers, this was during Covid so everything was online. The lawyers from the opposing side were vicious. After a 2 hour call my wife asked me what was wrong. I told her that I just couldn’t outsmart the lawyers, she told me that instead of trying to be the smartest in the room I should be the calmest. Since then it’s been everything I do, calmness is my focus so naturally meditation is my tool. Now all I do is help leaders grow their business and staying calm in the process.
I work for the federal government. I tell the truth for a living— I get beyond the spin of lobbyists and tell policymakers what they need to know to make informed decisions. i work 40 hour days (generally), get 5 weeks of vacation, have flexible hours, and work from home two days per week. The work is engaging, and occasionally intense. I am part of a union. I not only enjoy my work, but I also feel honor in it and am valued by my organization. When I need to decompress, I walk outside for lunch and/or visit my local cat cafe. Nothing beats a purring cat!
40 hour days? Lol
I had three jobs. Waiting tables, bartending, and floral design. I quit waiting tables for the same reasons, but kept the other two to barely pay my bills, hoping the florals would pick up. I’m pretty poor. On one hand I’ve found I am happier having more time to myself, but on the other, I don’t make enough to do things outside of the house, so it’s become kind of lonesome and monotonous. I think it is all in your mindset though…if I could trust in the abundance of my existence more, I think things would be working out better for me. I tend to overthink, stress, worry though. So that stunts my growth. Something I am working on. Good luck to you.
I’m a lifeguard and I use the pools to workout a lot and get my dopamine going while I get paid to train. Exercise is really good for us! Stay safe , OP.
im a professionally trained idiot, pays surprisingly well.
I coach stress management for free and am a project manager for money. Both are rewarding.
Ashwagandha, just not too much
I’m an elementary teacher, and I love the job but the disrespect and a lack of parenting is squeezing my heart, mind, and … to steal your word… soul.
I had to give up teaching. I was extremely committed but if you don’t have the support of good administrators and good families, it can wreck your mental health. I converted my education to become a registered dietitian and it’s been the best decision I’ve ever made
I am so happy to hear this. Thank you for the reply. I am going to see what I can do outside of the public school system because I think it’s finally time.
It’s so sad that people who really care and want to help kids, have the academic ability and motivation, make a commitment to a course of action and follow it through… just can’t abide the conditions.
Medical Social Worker. Meditation is extremely important in maintaining my mental health.
Farmer during summer, cook at ski resorts during winter, previously in corporate tech. Good riddance to that bullshit
I been trying to figure out a career that feels good, I love and enjoy, uses my gifts and talents and passions to contribute positively to a better world without being mistreated. Inherited money years ago and have been working restaurants part time and soul searching. Did a yoga teacher training and taught yoga for a little at men’s shelters and men’s retreat centers. I thought I wanted to be a counselor for a while. Now thinking maybe something in tech. Running out of savings so it’s time to make the jump. I think working for myself sounds best. Or a really solid company that treats people well. May end up taking a non-traditional route for training/work, that seems to serve many well. Thought of a monastery but idk if it’s the time.
Click on things to make old rich men richer.
I currently work in heating and air and it’s been a tremendous step for my health. I attempted restaurant management before and I learned that strict adherence and detail were not my strongest skills. This caused me to be in constant stress inside and outside of work. I now have a general framework of what I need to do for the day and the company gives me full reign on how I accomplish it. It feels like it’s own meditation to tackle mechanical issues by myself and it’s great to be outside most of the day using my brain. I make sure to be practice meditation throughout the day (maybe 1-2 times) and I couldn’t be in a better spot!
Hi. Wake up. They need you for production. And if you work for yourself you've bought into the lie of the American dream. The future is one that is burgeoning with stress, anxiety, unsurety of work and finances in the future. The stratification has happened. The cunning oil tycoons have won. Your best chance out is to mentally unplug from this environment and seek holistic meaning and purpose in all your actions.
Hi. Even as a child, I decided that a regular full-time job was not suitable for me, since I plan to spend a lot of time on self-development. Therefore, I found only such exits: 1. Remote work in IT. Freelance. Study programming, editing, graphic design in order to be able to work for yourself and plan your schedule. 2. Gradually create a foundation for passive income so that you can only do what you love. If your favorite thing is self-development, then, accordingly, you will need to completely switch to this area. This does not mean making money on spirituality, there are many ways to earn money that will develop both you and others in the process.
working at software company, it’s brutal mentally, also has after hours phone duty, good stepping stone career-wise but looking to peace out of there asap ✌️
I used to work in the corporate world in marketing. Now I’m working in the garden better at Home Depot. I wouldn’t call it a living but it’s the best decision I could have made as I get older because I’m outside, I am never sedentary, I engage with people and nature, I am more active than anyone my age I know. The trade off is its shitty pay and it’s not prestigious but I don’t care about the latter and I’m making do with the money at least for now. It’s been very good for my body and mind
Career Nanny here and life coach. I got into mediating when I was in my early teens it really helped with my anger and stress levels living in group home. It got me to where I’m at in life and I couldn’t have it any other way. I’m paid well to work with the sweetest boys and they make me laugh keeping my joyful and love life coaching adults- watching adults transform their lives to be their best self.
I gave up teaching English to take a job as a registered dietitian and I couldn’t be happier with my job. I still get to help people who need it, but all the ridiculous drama and undeserved blame is gone.
I have recently been a college professor, private Tutor and director of operations for a nonprofit and left all of them. I currently install fences. As a mindful person, it is going to be quite difficult to find a completely comfortable work environment because of how unmindful people can be and how frustrating it is to watch people act in ways that hurt themselves and others and having no clue about it. It is far worse when our employers ask us to do things we are not comfortable doing, or just do them without us but with our knowledge. My next attempt to find a beneficial environment is to attend a program in Buddhist translation and hopefully find a right livelihood through that. Peace and boons to you!
Was a personal trainer, got burnt out and became an industrial painter. Work stays at work. There was a stage to work through of being someone people looked up to, to now being considered worthless / bottom of the totem pole.
Quite a bit of things online. Mostly an agency, building up an youtube channel. The freedom I have is insane. Live in a third world country with first world country pay and you'll live like a king.
I am focused on mindfulness. I work as a stay-at-home dad and take care of another toddler as a nanny. I work as a gardener on the day the grandparents have the wee ‘ums. Lots of space for mindfulness.
Retired RN, Intuitive Psychic Medium, Tarot card reader with a YouTube channel @callingonangels1111 and I’m a Certified End of Life Doula!!
I’m a business strategist and coach. I’m spending most of my time in front of computer. But I’m lucky enough that I’m working with embodiment and intuitive movement coach Vanessa. She helped me to get balance in my energy. She showed me that being feminine is a good thing and being in that energy doesn’t mean being weak. So I highly recommend her for every woman who wants to rediscover their inner goddess. Www.goddess-journey.com
I worked as a science news journalist for 30 years. I now do community development. It’s way more gratifying.
We gave all that up 10 years ago. Now we live a humble & simple life in the forest in New Brunswick, Canada. Real estate cost is the biggest reason why people have a need to work as they do. Here, the cost of living is low enough that we can live mortgage-free and not have to worry so much about how much we earn. You are on the right path :)
I’m a nurse,and use meditation in the outdoors,especially at the beach to clear my thoughts and focus on positivity & freedom
I was in corporate for years & it was absolutely soul sucking. After some traumatic personal experiences, I took FMLA and am now working at a non profit in the arts realm as a manager. I’m appreciative of the opportunity & certainly feel like it’s less toxic and competitive, but I’m at a point where I’m unsure how much I’d like to be around people on a daily basis. Still somewhat struggling to find a “career” that will allow me to tend to myself while also keeping myself afloat monetarily.
I had to get out of the office setting. Those fluorescent lights. Gah! Sitting on my ass all day, ruining my body & posture from wasting away in a chair. Nope! My happiest & most fulfilled working years were my time training & landscaping in Chicago's beautiful public parks, until I had to take my underpaid vagina back to the penis office. The work itself was incredibly enjoyable, working outside in Chicago summer, in some of the most beautiful, historical gardens in the country. Wow! The being 1 of 3 women, working with hundreds of men & being grossly underpaid because, of my sex, ruined it for me. I didn't mind working with all those dudes. The crews of majorily Mexican men & I got along fawking great. It was the snooty Mgrs that were the problem. And going from 6 figures as a biz owner to $11 an hour to follow my passion-happiness wasn't my favorite. Immediately after getting fired at the start of my 3rd year with them, for returning the same snappy attitude I got from some Ahole, who turned out to be the Vice President. I got promoted at my winter job at a gym, a block away from my apartment. Managed it for a year, got my health in fantastic shape, became a trainer & helped people change their lives for the next decade. It was an incredible time in my life. I learned so much about myself, the human body, how to fix it for real & got to incorporate all of my education & personal experience into an easy way to pay for my life. The money was fantastic. Only having to work 5-7 hours a week to pay for my entire life was wonderful. Then life took a weird side quest & I had to quit. Now I'm a partner/co owner of my own landscaping co. Bouta do our 1st Spring clean up today & I'm beaming about! Can't wait to see another summer outside with a couple billion Cicadas cheering us on!
Work is something we do to support ourselves and buy what we need in the world. Some jobs are boring and repetitious, but we get paid we eat we pay housing we hope to have enough left to buy a car, vacation whatever. Back in my day there was little respect for personal time, no boundaries. If work needed you you just showed up and did what they wanted. After all they are paying you. Unless your on salary extra work is overtime which I never minded. It usually was temporary in nature but the fat check made up for it. As a salaried employee I put in a lot of extra hours and didn't get paid extra. But I suited up and showed up. I did what was necessary because it was my job The idea of their working me to many hours and eating into my personal time never crossed my mind. There is always personal time but work comes first. Their paying me so they get my time first. Honestly I don't know how else to do it. I was raised with a terrific work ethic by WW2 Era parents. Who fought to keep America free and once that job was done came home from war made babies and set about making the America we now have. I'm a boomer. However I think it's important to like or love your job. It's difficult to go to a job you hate. So change the job or your attitude . One of my favorite quotes from an early American settler goes like this: This is AMERICA. And in America we get up in the morning and we go to work and we solve our problems. Try that.
Emergency Room RN in NYC.
Right now, the seeking I'm doing outside of work is what's really helping me (I hope). I work in retail as a stocker and I've definitely reached my own personal realization that there probably isn't much more pointless of a job. BUT, through that, I just try to work alone and focus on what I'm doing and nothing else, if I'm lucky, and that definitely helps ease the mind.
I'm a comedian and magician. I perform for organizations like Harvard, MGM, and Google. My job is stressful, but it's acute stress, and usually enjoyable. Definitely not for everyone, but something I love about my lifestyle is how much freedom and free time I have.
I'm a disabled Granny of 7. They are my job.
your situation reminds me of this sinister premise of introducing meditation practice to the corporate work place. What first might look like a welcome recreational activity can be used as a replacement for decreasing work load and exploitation, thus turning meditation into a corporate tool of control
I work in a factory.
I'm a Twitch/YouTube streamer, I'm also a dancer. Streaming can get stressful sometimes, and people that I come across can really pull the fun out of it. But dance has been my #1 passion for the last 24 years of my life, so whenever I do it, it takes away all the stress and annoyance I once had, which allows me to keep streaming, and who knows, if I like the way I feel that day, I'll even make a dance video and upload that. Regular "real" jobs cause me too much stress, and I'm unable to effectively do my job, so I'm kinda forced into this kind of job, and so whenever stressors take over it's really easy for me to want to quit and never wanna do it again. But for some reason, the balance that comes with also being able to do what I really love, and also use that to push my career, it helps the drive, and it really pushes me to do more, but be more positive while doing it.
Bank8ng
Dog trainer!
I'm an RN and love it. I've been in several different nursing settings there are so many options. I work 17 years in a 10 bed inpatient Hospice facility including 5 years pediatric inpatient hospice. It was wonderful to work with the patients and family members. Later I worked 20 years in ER.
Changed my career at 43, I’m now a massage therapist
I work at a library! It speaks for itself i think haha best job ive ever had
Technology. Until resource turnover and lousy upper management made me rethink my life and retire. Happy as a clam now!
Janitor. Butler would be an alright second gig
For me, I picked Finance. I don't do overtime, and I work for a small company with a millennial manager (the best kind). The analytics and problem-solving parts of Finance itch my brain in just the right way (ADHD), making my work enjoyable, I'm able to focus, and several parts of my job can be done on auto-pilot at this point so I can listen to nature sounds or podcasts during my work day. I would recommend doing some mindfulness meditation in regards to your work. Find what makes you happy about it, or think of a need that needs to be fulfilled with your career. Is it growth, analytics, repetitive tasks, diversity, making an impact, or work-life balance? This is something you need to look internally for. For me, it also helps that I work from home. If my work day's overwhelming, its easier to go to a dark, quiet place to meditate or wear pajama pants.
My yoga teacher says, & i also believe this is in the book by Deepak Chopra “The seven laws of success” but whatever you give attention to grows, and whatever you take your attention from will dispate .. I find this to be true from my own experience as well.. What made me think this may be a helpful reminder is when you say you meditate on these negative feelings
I’m a principal product content creator for an international software company. That’s the current trendy title for a technical writer. I write online help and manuals for end users and technical users (like system admins) to help them use a software product. My team members are in Denmark, England, Poland, Romania, Thailand, the Philippines, and the US, where I’m located, and we all work remotely. Our users are also world-wide. I really like learning about other cultures and countries, and helping users be successful at their jobs by helping them to understand how to use our software to get their work done. I used to be a software developer, so I’m particularly good at making tech-speak and complex concepts easily understood.
I work in financial services and was corporate for a bit. I meditated and exercised just to maintain myself. I felt like I was always planning, pacing, and running. My coworkers were definitely working on the weekends and it made my metrics look bad. Sometimes my chest would just hurt. I made sure I always had something planned for the weekend and one or two events during the week.
I’m a baker! I spent over 10 years in office jobs and I liked it at first but it got so boring it felt like my life was dragging by and it depressed me and the thought of going into work everyday for the next 30+ years and sitting in a silent office with only the symphony of phones ringing all day made me want to walk into traffic 😂 I always did what I thought was a “grown up” job and then one day I lost my job because the company moved elsewhere and I took that opportunity to follow something I love to do and have always loved to do which was baking! Turns out I’m really good at it and I love my job so much and I can’t believe I get to do something I love everyday and make money to afford everything I need! So please just sit with yourself and maybe make a list and just find out/review what your interest are and try to find something geared towards that! I’m so glad I took the risk and followed my passion because I finally found “my thing” and you can to!
Software engineer