What Happens When Your Career Becomes Your Whole Identity

Harvard Business Review · Oct 18, 2026 · 6m

What Happens When Your Career Becomes Your Whole Identity

Uploaded 06-04-22

7 Apr 2022

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Hating your job is one thing – but what happens if you identify so closely with it that hating your job means hating yourself?

00:00 Many people with high-pressure jobs find themselves unhappy with their careers

00:38 Here are several reasons high-pressure jobs lead to this feeling

02:00 Losing your career can feel like losing your identity

02:15 Here are steps you can take to initiate change

02:30 1. Free up time

02:56 2. Start small

03:02 3. Rebuild your network

03:20 4. Decide what's important to you…