Work-Life Fusion: Is it a problem if your career becomes your identity? episode artwork

EPISODE · Mar 26, 2025 · 34 MIN

Work-Life Fusion: Is it a problem if your career becomes your identity?

from How I Work · host Amantha Imber

When asked to describe yourself, is one of the first things you mention your job? Why do so many of us form such a strong connection between our identity and our work? And more importantly, is that actually healthy? To explore the complex relationship between self-identity and work, I'm joined by my good friend Sabina Read for another thought-provoking conversation. Sabina is a clinical psychologist who shares her expertise weekly on 3AW and through her popular podcast "Human Cogs." In this episode, we dive into crucial questions about work identity: How to tell if your job is consuming too much of your sense of self Practical strategies to create healthy boundaries between work and identity If having a personally aligned career can lead to a lack of balance How to identify if you are letting your vocation swallow your sense of self 1 simple step you can take to make sure your job doesn’t define you entirely I found Sabina's positive take on work-identity integration particularly fascinating, as it offers a counterpoint to concerns I've personally wrestled with. Whether you're deeply aligned with your career or seeking more separation between who you are and what you do, this conversation offers valuable insights for navigating your relationship with work. Key Quotes: “I don’t know where Sabina starts and psychologist ends.” “If you’re doing that kind of work and your energy feels depleted. I don’t know if I call that identity alignment with your job. I call that work-aholic.” Connect with Sabina via her website, instagram, or check out her podcast Human Cogs.    My latest book The Health Habit is out now. You can order a copy here: https://www.amantha.com/the-health-habit/ Connect with me on the socials: Linkedin (https://www.linkedin.com/in/amanthaimber) Instagram (https://www.instagram.com/amanthai) If you are looking for more tips to improve the way you work and live, I write a weekly newsletter where I share practical and simple to apply tips to improve your life. You can sign up for that at https://amantha-imber.ck.page/subscribe Visit https://www.amantha.com/podcast for full show notes from all episodes. Get in touch at [email protected]   Credits: Host: Amantha Imber Sound Engineer: The Podcast ButlerSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

NOW PLAYING

Work-Life Fusion: Is it a problem if your career becomes your identity?

0:00 34:06

No transcript for this episode yet

We transcribe on demand. Request one and we'll notify you when it's ready — usually under 10 minutes.

That Hoarder: Overcome Compulsive Hoarding That Hoarder Hoarding disorder is stigmatised and people who hoard feel vast amounts of shame. This podcast began life as an audio diary, an anonymous outlet for somebody with this weird condition. That Hoarder speaks about her experiences living with compulsive hoarding, she interviews therapists, academics, researchers, children of hoarders, professional organisers and influencers, and she shares insight and tips for others with the problem. Listened to by people who hoard as well as those who love them and those who work with them, Overcome Compulsive Hoarding with That Hoarder aims to shatter the stigma, share the truth and speak openly and honestly to improve lives. Chewing the Fat with WorkForge WorkForge Bite-Sized Conversations for Building a Stronger Workforce Welcome to Chewing the Fat, a podcast delving deep into the world of food manufacturing. Dive into real conversations around critical topics like staffing, retention, onboarding, and career development in this essential industry. Subscribe now to gain insights from your peers, subject matter experts and more on the biggest issues facing food manufacturers today: -Hiring and retaining employees -Addressing the challenges of the Silver Tsunami -Improving time to productivity of new employees -Engaging employees from hire to retire And more... Tune in to Chewing the Fat, a WorkForge podcast, and join the conversation on how to build and sustain a resilient, high-performing workforce in food manufacturing. Solving for Change MOBIA Technology Innovations Solving for Change welcomes business and technology leaders to share stories of bold business transformation within complex organizations. In an era when technology and markets are changing around businesses, the key to staying competitive is to evolve in response to those changes.  MOBIA’s Mike Reeves and Marc LeBlanc investigate business transformation, deconstructing the challenges, ambitions, and market disruptions that drive companies to embark on transformation journeys, and exploring their unique approaches to achieving meaningful outcomes.  What sparks leaders to pursue business transformation? How do they overcome the challenges along the way? What are the keys to creating enduring change?  Through in-depth conversations with business and technology leaders, Mike and Marc answer these questions and explore how businesses evolve by pulling four key transformation levers: people, process, technology, and culture. The Lee Olsen Show Lee Olsen CJF I want to help you improve all areas of your life by 3 types of podcasts!👉Blood, Sweat & Blessings-Interviews of normal people that have achieved BIG things!👉Series!!! For Love of the Horse- Brad Jackman DVM & Lee Olsen CJF, how to help your horse!👉Business Tips- Proven Life Changing Business Strategies with Lee Olsen

Frequently Asked Questions

How long is this episode of How I Work?

This episode is 34 minutes long.

When was this How I Work episode published?

This episode was published on March 26, 2025.

What is this episode about?

When asked to describe yourself, is one of the first things you mention your job? Why do so many of us form such a strong connection between our identity and our work? And more importantly, is that actually healthy? To explore the complex...

Is there a transcript available for this episode?

Yes, a full transcript is available for this episode. You can read the complete transcript on the episode page.

Can I download this How I Work episode?

Yes, you can download this episode by clicking the download button on the episode player, or subscribe to the podcast in your preferred podcast app for automatic downloads.
URL copied to clipboard!