What Does Work Mean to You?

This post is a component of the Siesta Hut.

Work. Oh Boy, what a topic! This is probably the last thing we want to think about on a 3 day weekend. It is a component of life that is heavily focused on in both of my college degrees. My master's degree is heavily focused on providing employment to individuals with disabilities which in turn allows these individuals to be independent, productive members of society. With a degree in Occupational Therapy (my bachelor's degree) I am trained to complete job analysis' on various different careers and occupations.  Basically think of your job and realize that somewhere in their coursework an OT did an assignment that worked on listing every physical and cognitive task involved with your job duties.  And then listed ideas and equipment to make these job duties easier based on the level of impairment an individual may have. Ranging from the stairs you may use to get to your office space, to the amount of physical output or level of long term memory it takes to be productive, to the level of dexterity it takes to punch a time clock or use a computer.

Work. Without it where would you be? Could you pay taxes? Rent? Maintain a car? Participate in play or leisure activities? Maintain your health? Working in America for about 40-60 years during our lifetime is pretty much crucial to a stable middle class life. Yes, really. The burger joint, movie theater or camp counselor jobs we all have throughout high school and college years are included in with earning our educations and skills and finding a place to hopefully gain some type of pension.

40-60 years? My hope is that with my educational background and own personal experiences I am able to break apart and analyze different types of jobs/careers and the individuals level of passion and satisfaction with what they are doing every day. In my case, am I able to lift and carry boxes/bags and fill out redundant pieces of paperwork. Yes, I am. Does this effect my level of performance during treatment planning/sessions and meetings. Yes, it does. Especially if it's an ongoing issue. And I am willing to guess that if you are working for a larger public agency and have been provided with stability and benefits and suffer from a health issue that may be hidden or managed when you are good to yourself, these little things at work really can effect your overall performance. At a public rehabilitation agency I would "pass" an OT evaluation and it would be stated that I am able to perform my essential job duties. What I have noticed is that there are a lot of gaps in terms of how to handle individuals with hidden disabilities in the workforce. Actually, my disability is obvious however my determination and motivation has outweighed the fact that certain components of work can be a challenge.

My goal is to always look at the bigger picture. Work hard. Pay bills and taxes and be a productive member of society, but find that balance of what matters to you and reduce the rest of it.

Stay tuned. This summer quizzes, survey's and hopefully discussion boards will be coming your way to address this issue.

http://20somethingfinance.com/american-hours-worked-productivity-vacation/