Have you ever felt dysthymia? Dysthymia is the low-grade feeling that life is unfulfilling. It’s the feeling of emptiness, hunger and disillusionment that life isn’t what you’d hoped. This was what I felt at work for a long time. I did my best to stop feeling this way: going to a business school, working at different companies, trying different roles, and becoming a manager. However, none of these efforts stopped dysthymia or depression.
Learning how to be emotionally intelligent and compassionate for myself through great training sessions (SIY and CCT), I started feeling better. Then I wondered, “How great would it be if we could be emotionally intelligent and compassionate to each other at work?” This curiosity led me to get certified as facilitators for SIY and CCT training, and I started offering these classes at Meta, cultivating the Mindfulness Club inside the company with so many amazing kindred spirits in this community who shared the same aspiration as mine.
A Virtuous Cycle to Stop Suffering at Work
This allowed me to meet my need for growth. I found it so meaningful to create an emotionally intelligence and compassionate workplace that became my purpose. The irony was that the work context didn’t change much. It was the same job, the same problems, and the same company. However, feeling more whole and satisfied with my purpose with the Mindfulness at Meta, I started performing better with my job by being a better manager, leader, and coworker.
My experience is an example of a virtuous cycle at workplaces which can stop suffering at work. When we allow people to meet their needs for growth, it motivates them to engage and perform better at work. This was what Adam Smith didn’t know.
