Protestant work ethic might just not be ethical.

One thing I’ve struggled with as I’ve grown is to not define myself by the work I do, and then feeling worthless when I have a hard time “being productive”. I’ve always been a box-ticker, and I could happily slug out long hours getting things done.

As I’ve grown older, it’s dawned on me that you can either 1) evaluate someone purely by the work they do, or 2) accept the concept of inate worth of personality. Of course, the happy path is in the middle, but I definitely got an outsized dose of protestant, work-is-everything ethics. It is very tiring feeling like you’re worthless because you can’t get out of bed, or can’t think straight.

I’m not sure yet what’s a good way to correct the course here. The natural straightening feels extremely slow and regresses basically entirely during depressive episodes. My self-worth might not be completely tied to what I do, but to say that it isn’t is a plain lie.

If anyone has pointers to books or practical advice, I’ll happily take it. Hell, I’ve even contemplated taking up Buddhism over issues similar to this.