We’ve all been asked to alter our lifestyles during this coronavirus pandemic, and it’s safe to say that a lockdown can be taxing on your state of mind. However, the mental health benefits of work–especially rewarding work–can help you during these unprecedented times.
Without work, the hours at home will feel longer, and your chances of going stir crazy will rise. Every industry, including the cannabis space, is affected by this crisis. Luckily, the mental health benefits of a job can help get you through this craziness.
Sense of Community
Having a fulfilling job during these trying times is pivotal to staying healthy. One way work can help you stay positive is by giving you a sense of community. According to the McMillan & Chavis theory, there are four elements to a sense of community: membership, influence, integration and fulfillment of needs, and shared emotional connection. By having a satisfying job, you can gain these four pillars and belong to a group with the same goals. Working for a notable company means you will feel like a part of a dependable and stable structure. Even if you work from home, you can still benefit from your work community, as you will still deal with obstacles and curveballs as a team.
Mental Stability
Work can improve your mental stability, especially during stressful times. However, you may not even notice this benefit until you hit some bumps on the road or sink into depression. Holding a fulfilling position provides you the opportunity to do something purposeful, which helps you stabilize your mood. According to the World Health Organization, employment gives you five layers of psychological experience to increase your mental stability: time structure, social contact, collective effort and purpose, social identity, and regular activity. Being involved and utilizing the skills you’re good at boosts your spirit and allows you to keep your composure during difficult times.
Sense of Purpose
It’s no surprise that having goals and direction is vital to your well-being. A sense of purpose is a fundamental component of living a stable life, and one of the mental health benefits work can provide. Finding a way to contribute to society is particularly important in a time of crisis. Having a purposeful job–like one in the cannabis industry–during difficult times will help to anchor your sanity. Dr. Steve Taylor, the chair of the Transpersonal Section of the British Psychological Society, states that a sense of purpose makes one less susceptible to psychological discord. This is the general sense of unease people experience when their attention isn’t occupied by something external. By working, you spend less time in dialogue within your mind, which can lead to negative thoughts. Working during difficult times provides you the essential mental health benefit of avoiding psychological discord.
Work can provide you with intellectual challenges that demand cognitive flexibility. During trying times, exercising your cognitive flexibility can help you see things from different perspectives. This will allow you to see challenges–in or outside of work–as opportunities to learn and grow. Furthermore, challenging your brain at work helps to stimulate and sharpen it. As you upgrade your intelligence through work, you develop the willingness and sound logic to face difficult times successfully. Intellectual challenges at work can also help you understand others and yourself better, further assisting you in dealing with situations that test your resiliency.
This article was originally published on CannabizTeam
