7 Powerful Mental Philosophies for Millennials at Work (Pt 1)
I love learning about philosophies, thinking models and theories in order to be aware of how I think and make decisions.
I also believe that being aware of your thought processes and having some useful philosophies/theories in your back pocket is invaluable and can be extremely useful at work. For instance, whether you are making a big career decision or simply motivating yourself to put yourself forward for a new opportunity or knowing when to switch off.
So below I list part 1 to the 7 Powerful Philosophies I have been using recently to help me at work, many of which are related to mental health and wellbeing especially relevant as it is Mental health awareness week next week.
Enjoy! I would love to know if you have others to share too!
The hedonic treadmill
The hedonic treadmill refers to how humans tend to quickly return to a stable level of happiness despite major positive/negative life events.
Workplace example: You finally get the promotion you have been dreaming of but 6 months down the line, you are feeling unsatisfied again and yearning to reach the next milestone.
My thoughts: The hedonic treadmill is not a bad thing but I think having the awareness that absolutely no goal will give you ultimate happiness is very powerful. Instead, try to remember that generally, happiness is a present choice, not a future destination. I also find the awareness of the hedonic treadmill very useful to remember to be grateful for my achievements!
For more information, watch this video here:
Ikigai
Ikigai is a Japanese philosophy about the secret to a long and happy life. Ikigai translates to ‘reason for being’ which as the diagram below shows is found by finding the intersection where your passions and skill converge with the things that the world needs and is willing to pay for.
Workplace example: When offered a new opportunity at work, ask yourself does this align with my ikigai?
My thoughts: So many millennials I meet are always wondering about their purpose and how they can do meaningful work but don’t necessarily want to quit their jobs and volunteer for the rest of their lives. I find ikigai a practical way to think about your purpose and recognise that your job and passions can be connected.
For more information, check out this article here:
Circles of concern and influence
From the great book, The Seven Habits of Highly Effective People by Stephen R. Covey comes the theory about your circle of concern and influence.
As shown in the diagram above you circle of concern includes all the things you worry about for instance your health, current workload, your relationships, climate change, state of the economy etc. Whereas your circle of influence is the subset within your circle of concern that you can actually control. Covey encourages readers to be proactive and focus on addressing things within your circle of influence.
Workplace example:
Circle of concern: You are worried about how promotions will go this year in your firm.
Circle of influence: You are worried about your promotion but you recognise you can work hard, articulate your achievements and prepare as much as possible to influence your promotion outcome.
My thoughts: The circles of concern and influence are powerful to help you remember how to prioritise and take action accordingly, otherwise it is very easy to feel like everything is happening to you and neglect what role you can play in determining the outcome.
For more information, check out this article here:
Equanimity
Equanimity is a theory with roots in Buddhist teaching that relates to our ability to stay mentally calm regardless of what is happening around us. The ability to see without being caught by what we see and how this can bring about peace.
Workplace example: You see people getting stressed out about things at work, maintaining equanimity means you are aware of what is going on but you choose not to let it negatively impact how you feel or go about your day.
My thoughts: Although simple, I think the ability to maintain equanimity is much easier said than done especially at work. I believe the first step is awareness that you can get caught up and then deciding how you want to react.
For more information, check out this article here:
So there are the first 4 Powerful Mental Philosophies for Millennials at Work. Hopefully, some of them have resonated with you and you can begin developing the mindset shifts that will undoubtedly be beneficial to you.
