My job is pretty much who I am — it's the first thing I tell people, and it's where I get my sense of being worth something. So when a project goes badly or a boss is unhappy with me, it doesn't feel like a bad day, it feels like there's nothing left of me to stand on. I've built my whole self on one thing, and it scares me how easily it shakes.
More people experience this than they realize.
Your whole identity is your job, so when work goes badly you have nothing to stand on.
If this sounds familiar, the Library can help you find the bigger picture.