Contents
Hello dear blog readers! Professional deformation is not a rare phenomenon, and it occurs in almost every person, especially at the beginning of work activity and represents the transfer of knowledge, experience, skills and communication styles into one’s everyday life, family, and so on.
Pros
- Due to the fact that every day you have to “enter” the role assumed by the profession, deformation allows a person to quickly adapt to it.
- Protects the psyche. Just imagine what would have happened to, say, pediatric intensive care doctors if they had not learned to “freeze” their feelings towards small patients, acquiring some tough character traits and losing the skill of empathy and compassion? They would, crying over one child, could not save the lives of others, because they would experience the strongest grief and pain. And daily observing dozens of sick, sometimes incurably, kids, they could lose their minds, holding out at work for a very short time.
- It can be useful in everyday life, as some skills can be applied not only in the workplace. For example, individuals with medical education can provide first aid to loved ones in case of unforeseen circumstances, masters of sports in martial arts will protect the family, and PR managers will arrange an unforgettable holiday for the child.
Cons
- Arrogance — develops in case of promotion, especially if the new position involves power.
- Jam. A person stops developing, striving to learn more about his profession, which makes him ineffective, incapable of creating and implementing new creative ideas.
- Destruction of relationships. Friends, family partners and just acquaintances who know one person cannot withstand his cardinal changes. Just imagine, the head of a large department, coming home and, without leaving his role, tries to manage his wife and children, giving them instructions and chastising them for their mistakes, how long can they see him as a loving father and caring husband?
- The psychological barriers that protect the psyche do not withstand, which is why the so-called burnout occurs. A person is disappointed in his work, experiencing fatigue, aversion to it that is resistant to it, and loses the meaning of life. And all because he did not have the space and the opportunity to take a break from the role he was playing, to notice himself in other images and realize that in fact a multifaceted versatile personality. It becomes simply boring, especially if you had to do the same thing every day.
- Reduced efficiency and productivity. Awe and interest in their activities disappear without a trace. And then doctors begin to treat patients as faceless and soulless, and managers treat employees as functions that need to be either adjusted or disqualified.
Evidence
- If your relatives and just acquaintances are increasingly talking about the fact that you have changed, and it has become difficult to communicate, and sometimes in general, to be around, then most likely you have a problem associated with professional deformation.
- They make remarks that next to them are not you, but the person performing official duties. For example, a friend claims to be in contact with a psychologist or lawyer who actively went to work after hearing that she was having problems.
- The circle of acquaintances is very limited, as it consists only of colleagues.
- You do not hold back, and in any conversation you find questions and topics related to work. It’s not that hard to do if you want to. Let’s say it’s worth mentioning to friends that they are going on vacation, as an employee of a travel company will flood them with questions about the chosen hotel, route, and so on. The psychologist will interpret as an attempt to save the marriage, and the doctor will acquaint them with a list of injuries or illnesses that they risk getting on vacation.
- When you meet new people, you perceive them as potential clients, patients, etc., but not as individuals with whom you can just relax, chat and have fun, or even get close.
- There was a panic fear of losing a job, losing their position or communication with colleagues.
- You notice the emergence of interest in others only when they begin to talk about what is directly related to the profession.
- If you don’t find much difference in which one you are in the service and which one you are at home, since the qualities that a person must possess when performing certain work duties are firmly “woven” into the character, displacing others that were characteristic before.
Prevention
1. Mindfulness
It is possible to detect changes in time only if a person is aware. If you keep track of your feelings and give in to their analysis, you will not only become a more developed personality, but also anticipate the appearance of changes in character. So you can stop yourself in time, as you feel that you “did not get out of the role”, or if your hands “itch”, show working skills in your free time.
It’s okay if you have problems with awareness, it can be trained. How to do it right, you will learn from this article. By the way, feeling better and noticing yourself, you can discover the reasons that push you to change your personality.
For example, against the background of low self-esteem, a person may feel embarrassed and afraid to communicate with someone so as not to be rejected. But the sphere of activity presupposes the presence of power, feeling which he, as it were, protects himself from intimacy, which makes him arrogant and tough. Or banal fatigue will affect, and recognizing it in time, a person will go on vacation without having time to get the effect of burnout and so on.
2. Analysis
Examine and, when necessary, criticize your behavior. Try to track what kind of feedback you get from employees, customers, patients? Take a closer look at your colleagues and try to find similarities and differences with them. What can you learn from them? And what experience, knowledge will share in response?
It is not necessary to take action, it means that you constantly carry out such inner work, thinking and fantasizing, this will allow you to expand the boundaries of consciousness and become more effective.
3. Leave your comfort zone
Yes, it is very familiar, close and dear, but it does not allow you to develop and change, move forward. Sometimes it is easier for people to stay in one place, even if it brings suffering, than to risk changing their lives for the better, stopping themselves with fear, which can become very bad.
By doing the same thing, a person understands what the consequences and benefits will be, but in this case he loses the opportunity to get something more. So, the best prevention of professional deformation is new activities, hobbies and hobbies. Look for new ways to get pleasure, recognition and fulfill your needs.
4. “Novelty”
If you feel like you’ve been sitting too long, bring novelty to your duties. It is not very realistic to change the position radically, but it is quite possible to take on other projects and tasks that have not been dealt with before. This will serve as a resource and contribute to self-development, and who knows, suddenly you will succeed in a new business?
5. Rest and relax
It is necessary to restore strength, otherwise the body will quickly be depleted and will cease to serve you faithfully. It is necessary to take care not only of physical health, but also of mental health. So make a list of things that give you joy and pleasure, and go to implement it. Is that what you love? Read, knit, collect coins, or maybe grow flowers?
Remember what you used to devote time to, but then had to push out due to changes in habits and desires? Even if your activity makes you happy, it is important to switch to other areas of life, otherwise there will come a moment when it becomes «sweetly — not interesting.»
6. Colleagues
Take a moment and think about how you see your colleagues with whom you have to intersect every day. Do you know that, for example, the boss’s secretary not only knows how to skillfully resolve conflicts and brews great coffee, but also draws beautifully, brings up three children, and devotes her free time to boxing?
Think about each employee, what kind of knowledge do you have, how can you characterize it? And if you realize that there are gaps, try to fill them by finding out what they are outside your company, firm, etc.
7. Communication
Expand your connections by trying to communicate with completely different people, visit exhibitions, various premieres in the theater and more. Diversify your life, explore yourself.
8. My roles
Write a list of 10 items about the roles you play. Let’s say you are a dad, son, grandson, leader, friend, etc. Then sketch at least 5 qualities that you possess in each of these roles. Say out loud, for example: “I am an attentive, loving, sometimes tough and principled husband,” and so on for each function on the list.
After that, analyze what was written, and if you notice that you are basically static and some kind of character property accompanies you all the time, think about how long ago it arose, and how do you feel about it? How does it help, and at what points, on the contrary, does it interfere?
9. Wheel of balance of life
This is such a kind of mandala that displays the state of various spheres of a person, and if you have problems with any of them, you can immediately track it, and then take the necessary measures.
For more information, along with recommendations, see the article on the technique of compiling the wheel of life balance.
Conclusion
I also recommend that you read the article: “Is education really necessary and is it a factor in human development?”.
And that’s all for today, dear readers! The factors that cause personality deformation are diverse and individual, so be attentive to yourself, notice yourself and your feelings, this will help prevent a lot, even depression and various diseases.