A Labor Day Manifesto

Happy Labor Day! As we celebrate the contributions of workers, it's a perfect time to reflect on our own relationship with work. In modern American culture, our jobs often define us, blurring the lines between vocation and identity.

I remember as a teacher constantly feeling the push to "do more" to justify my worth. Now that I’m a business owner and entrepreneur, the anxiety of not working is sometimes more crippling than the work itself. It can even feel easier to burn the candle at both ends rather than face the discomfort of being seen as not enough.

This Labor Day, I wanted to take this opportunity to explore how to reclaim our lives by setting healthy boundaries with our jobs.

A Brief History of Labor Day (and Why It Matters)

Labor Day became an official US holiday in 1894, thanks to President Grover Cleveland. For nearly a decade prior, labor activists had been pushing for a day to acknowledge the contributions of trade and labor workers who built America's strength, prosperity, and well-being. While New York was the first state to celebrate a Labor Day holiday on Tuesday September 5, 1882, Oregon was the first to pass a law recognizing Labor Day on February 21, 1887.

By 1894, 23 of the then 44 states of the Union had passed laws recognizing a "general holiday for the laboring classes" to honor those "who from rude nature have delved and carved all the grandeur we behold," (quote from Peter J. McGuire, one of the disputed founders of Labor Day). The first Labor Day celebrations called for street parades and festivals to exhibit the strength and espirit de corps of the trade and labor organizations of the community, followed by a festival for the recreation and amusement of the workers and their families.

I don't know if I've ever been to a Labor Day parade, but it sure sounds like a good time!

While the original intent of Labor Day was to honor the contributions of workers and celebrate their collective achievements, somewhere along the way, it seems we may have lost the plot. Today, it often feels like just another day off, another chance to catch up on the never-ending to-do list, or to be glad we have the day away from a job we wish we didn’t have to go to.

The holiday presents an opportunity, though, to reflect on our relationship with our jobs.

Occupational wellness, or satisfaction in your profession, is a key dimension of our overall well-being. We spend a significant portion of our lives at work, so our relationship with our jobs profoundly impacts our mental, emotional, and physical health. Even though I work from home, I'm basically in "work-mode" 24/7 - a habit I'm currently trying to break!

It's natural to tether ourselves to our occupation, especially in a culture with a pervasive ideology that equates worth with vocational output. Those that are seen as "hard workers," which often includes blurred work-life boundaries and a sacrificial devotion to one's workplace at the cost of their personal lives, are championed and those that merely show up and do their job are seen as lazy and unmotivated. This creates a dangerous dynamic where our sense of self becomes inextricably linked to our professional achievements. It's no wonder that Retirement Syndrome—characterized by a loss of identity, purpose, and social connection—is a very real phenomenon.

I'm not saying everyone needs to quit their job and start a business (though if you haven’t tried it, it’s a lot of fun!). But whether you're an entrepreneur, content in your office job, or working the job of your dreams, it's crucial to establish and maintain healthy boundaries.

Your job is only one part of your life, and it shouldn't consume your entire identity.

I'm not sure I'll ever retire, and I'm not sure that's really my end-goal. But, I do know a thing or two about setting boundaries with your job and what happens when those boundaries get crossed, stepped on, and erased: burnout, anxiety, depression, and a host of physical and mental ailments and manifestations, just to name a few.

So, how do we create those boundaries? While every work situation is different, here are a few actionable general guidelines:

1. Set Time Boundaries:

   • I’m going to hold your hand when I say this: You are not meant to be accessible 24/7. Determine your work hours and communicate them to your boss, clients, and colleagues.

   • When will you be available by phone, text, and email? More importantly, when do you want to be available?

   • Turn off notifications or use a separate work phone or computer that you can leave at the office or in the car.

   • Action: Define your "work hours" this week and commit to sticking to them.

2. Set Physical Boundaries:

   • Establish dedicated workspaces or environments, especially if you work from home. Not only does this improve our focus and engage our context-dependent memory, it also preserves the separation between work and personal life.

   • Designate areas where work is off-limits (e.g., bedroom, dining table). Just the other day, I needed to do some work and was tempted to grab my laptop and lie in bed. I stopped myself and realized that my bedroom is my personal space — and that space is not for work. If you want to work in bed, fine, but where do you want to draw the line and decide "I will not be available or consumed by work in this environment,"? Maybe it is in the car, or at the gym, but putting that physical boundary in place helps us to rightfully separate our work-brain from our living-brain.

   • Action: Identify one area in your home that will be a "work-free zone" starting today.

If you like this article, this is what you get when you upgrade to becoming a paid subscriber. Other insights to look forward to this week are:

• 4 healthy fall recipes

• Inspirations and lessons from Britt Hartley’s No Nonsense Spirituality

• Thursday 3-2-1

3. Set Communication Boundaries:

• Decide when, where, and how you talk about work. Avoid spending all your free time complaining about your job.

• If you need to debrief after a long day, set a timer for 10-15 minutes to rant and vent, then move on.

• Practice redirecting your thoughts when you find yourself constantly thinking about work outside of work hours. Tell yourself, "We are not going to think about work right now."

• Action: This week, make a conscious effort to limit work-related conversations during personal time.

Yes, our jobs can be an incredible source of meaning and purpose, and provides the avenue by which we experience life. But that doesn't mean it has to consume you or be your default identity.

By setting boundaries, you are consciously choosing how to navigate the relationship between your job and the rest of your life in a way that works for you, and that's what it's about. If you want to be available 24/7, waste time with your family, friends, and loved ones because you're either working, talking about work, or thinking about work, go right ahead. No one is stopping you. I'm sure when you are old and grey you will say, "Man, I am so glad I worked all the time."

If you're reading this and you recognize that you need to revisit your relationship to your job, this is a perfect topic for my Wellness Clarity Sessions! Let's talk about your relationship with your job and how we can get you to feel better at work, set the right boundaries that make sense for you, or explore options to find a job that you don't hate going to every day. I remember all too well what it is like to dread going to your job every day, and I don't want that for you. Together, we can explore the depths of your work-life balance and find actionable strategies to reclaim your time, energy, and overall well-being. Start September off right by reclaiming your life, starting with your job.

Book your Wellness Clarity Session here!

Until next time, live uninterrupted.

~Coleman