Passionate about your job? Here’s why that might not be good for you

You might wish you were more passionate about your job. Or that you had the kind of job you could at least imagine being passionate about. Something that made you jump out of bed in the morning, excited about a new day filled with fist pumps and joy.

But psychologists differentiate between two types of work-related passion – and they may not both appeal, even if you’re more than a little fed up with your current role.

“Harmonious” work passion refers to situations in which a person not only enjoys their job, but also has control over their relationship with it. People with harmonious work passion have often chosen their career because it is something which interests them, and they gain great pleasure from how they earn a living. Crucially, the work does not profoundly interfere with other important elements of their life.

But a person with “obsessive” work passion has little control over their relationship with their job. They consider their occupation, and related factors such as promotions and pay rises, to be central to their lives.

The obsessively passionate rarely disengage completely from their jobs, and even though they might be very successful at what they do, this often comes without a sense of satisfaction. Such an approach can take over lives, and lead to burnout, when you are physically and emotionally exhausted, and feel helpless and trapped.

So how do you make sure you end up filled with the right kind of passion? If you have obsessive work passion, is it you or the job? Our research suggests it’s probably both.

Read the full article here!