The Great Resignation

From Cadbury ad

Did you recently quit work or retire?

In my recent travels, I've seen a lot of signs saying "Now Hiring." Some offer sign-up bonuses.

Yesterday's news reported a drop in unemployment claims.

In a recent report, Rosenberg et al. (2021) reported 4.3 million Americans quit work in August--that's nearly 3% of the US labor force.

This phenomenon has been dubbed The Great Resignation. So, what's going on? It's a little early to say and according to Miller (2021), people offer a variety of reasons.

Some, of course, decided to retire during the worldwide 2020 pandemic when some were laid off.

Some have weighed the benefits of retiring early vs. later and decided the additional monthly income isn't worth the stress or they'd rather do something else with their time.

The Pandemic as Career Crisis

So many of us have had our lives significantly affected by the pandemic. I retired early because I wanted to enjoy life more than earn more money. I grew up with "World War II parents" so, being careful with expenses is a like a character trait--"Always live below your means" has been a helpful principle. Pandemics, wars, and other life-threatening tragedies can nudge people to thinking about a meaningful life. Psychologists have studied reactions to threats documented by research into Terror Management Theory.

Terror Management Theory (TMT) was proposed by psychological scientists Jeff Greenberg, Sheldon Solomon, and Tom Pyszczynski. The theory posits that people manage the terror inherent in their awareness of their own death by investing in that which is more durable. They experience conflict between the instinctual urge to live and the reality of death. See Suttonpsychology

A Meaningful Life

No doubt, many will return to work in the near future. And many will create an anxiety buffer to cope with feelings of unease about their situation.

Even those struggling to manage debt and expenses due to a variety of reasons may consider what they would rather do to pay the bills and live with at least a little less stress.

In a way, I suppose my decision to write Living Well was part of my own quest. I was published in 2019, the year before the pandemic shutdowns. I won't claim to be a prophet! People have been searching for a meaningful life for thousands of years. Coping with life away from the office or college and managing without a reliable or larger income can produce its own stress and anxiety; however, the whole experience can be a positive game-changer for those who are able to live less.

Work Culture

As the people in many nations approach a prepandemic normalcy, the struggles of the past year will eventually subside for many. Those who lost family and friends with continue to grieve. And those who lost employment or used a lot of their savings to survive may not recover for awhile.

Meanwhile, those who find their work meaningful may still have choices of where, when, and how much they work given the current demand for employees.

Living Well: 10 Big Ideas of Faith and a Meaningful Life

On AMAZON

An inexpensive read on Amazon Kindle

Marriage Under Reconstruction

The 1950s imaginary sentimental love man as protein-carbs winner (bring home the bacon & breadwinner) marriage has ended for most people in most Western cultures. Some folks retain that image, or some photoshopped version of it, as the ideal traditional marriage. Picture the happy couple at church with King James Bibles under their arms and you get the Protestant Christian version of this traditional marriage. Changes are a constant The changes in marriage and romantic relationships in the last few decades are staggering for anyone alive before the 1960s. Human behavior is my business. I am a psychologist. The counseling advice offered to couples seems to reflect the mythology of the decade rather than recommendations sourced in science. I would like to say that the nature and extent of the changes in marriage and romantic relationships have never been seen before in human history. But I am no historian. Nevertheless, the changes call for some consider...

Why Social Spaces Are Psychological Forces

Louise Penny has noted that Quebec, the setting of her novels, operates almost as a character in its own right. This observation is more than literary flair; it reflects a psychological truth. Environments exert influence. They shape perception, emotion, and behavior. In social psychology, we recognize that human functioning is inseparable from context. Our interactions with others affect our mood, cognition, motivation, and even our physiological health. This is why social context is a core dimension of the SCOPES framework. Yet physical environments — even in the absence of people — also exert measurable effects. Consider how interior spaces communicate safety, warmth, or threat. A familiar chair can regulate stress; a poorly designed one can amplify discomfort. Sensory cues such as scent, sound, and texture influence our emotional states in subtle but powerful ways. Outdoor environments operate similarly. Natural settings often promote restoration, while harsh or polluted environmen...

EASTER: VARIATIONS IN BELIEF

Differences in Religious & Spiritual Beliefs Relevant to the Easter Story By Geoffrey W. Sutton, Ph.D. at suttong.com Like most Christians, my wife and I attend an Easter Service. And, a s usual, the media rise to the Spring occasion with Bible stories, comments from various religious leaders and a few atheists—just to keep things balanced. Other religions are on the back burner until Monday. So many statements of beliefs come from the Easter events. For now, here’s a sample of some core beliefs from various sources. God: 51% believe in God as in the Bible Statista (May, 2023) reported US belief "in God as described in holy scriptures" at 51%. Another 22% reported a belief in a higher power or spirit. Pew researchers from 2021 find 58% believe in God as described in the Bible and another 32% believe in a God or Higher Power. Belief in God is obviously a core belief. U.S. belief has declined to 58% having no doubt God exists and another 17% have do...

Geoffrey W. Sutton PhD, Psychology and Culture

Search This Blog