Is it really because of your job

A little bit of psychology to contextualize this post. Are you aware of Pavlov’s dog experiments? According to , “Pavlov showed that dogs could be conditioned to salivate at the sound of a bell if that sound was repeatedly presented at the same time that they were given food.”

Human brains work in a similar way. When something happens often enough that we come to associate it with something particular, it becomes an anchor. So, whenever that anchor gets triggered, so does the emotion.This is particularly true in Northern Canada. February is a long month. We just went through the longest nights of the year, and now we’ve reached the coldest month. It’s not uncommon to experience low moods, burnout, and even feel the desire to resign if you’re unhappy.Employees are not to blame for this phenomenon. It’s the toughest time of the year. However, many employees find themselves feeling these low moods at work, and as a result, come to associate their problems with work.The point I’m trying to make here is that work is rarely the root cause of your low mood during these months. There are always underlying reasons why you feel this way. You may want to change jobs and start fresh, but a few weeks in, you will most likely begin to feel down again. So, for your long-term mental health, start asking yourself why you feel this way.Here’s an example to show you the power of asking these questions.Jonathan feels burned out at work and asks himself:Q: Why am I feeling down today?A: Because I don’t want to work.Q: But why don’t I want to work?A: Because I’m stressed.Q: Why am I stressed?A: Because my girlfriend and I are fighting.Ah! Jonathan discovered that his low mood had more to do with his relationship than his work. Changing jobs wouldn’t have helped his relationship in this case, but now he can work to improve it.You should always take the time to question your beliefs and feelings, and don’t take the first and easiest answer as the definitive truth. You’re smarter than your old brain!