The 10 Minute Shift

Why It's Important To Separate Work From Your Identity


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Who are you without the job title? Without the inbox? Without the performance reviews?

In this week's episode, I’m talking about something I’ve lived through - and something I see again and again in my coaching work: what happens when we over-identify with our jobs. When our sense of worth gets so wrapped up in performance, productivity, and title... that we forget who we are underneath it all.

What I Talk About:

  • My personal experience with identity loss and rediscovery
  • How our culture conditions us to tie worth to work
  • The emotional impact of layoffs and change
  • What coaching has taught me about identity and fulfillment
  • Questions to ask when you're feeling lost in your role
  • How to start separating what you do from who you are


I was inspired to record this after reading an incredible article on Substack titled “You Are Not Your Job, and Soon You Won’t Have One.” It hit me hard, particularly given all the layoffs that seem to happen constantly.

It put words to so much of what I’ve been feeling and thinking - about identity, career change, cultural shifts, and how fragile our sense of self can become when it’s built entirely around work. Highly recommend reading it.

And if you'd like to explore working together, here are my links: https://linktr.ee/amykiernan

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The 10 Minute ShiftBy Amy Kiernan