We spend a third of our lives working—at least. Yet in recent years, the question has shifted from what do you do? to why do we work? With the rise of AI, hybrid jobs, stress and burnout, many are rethinking not just how we work, but why we do it.

The current administration is undertaking a number of initiatives to continue to address the need of work-life balance. The continuous improvement of working conditions in our country particularly with the introduction of additional leave in particular circumstances, ensure better support to all the members of the workforce. However, the issue that is being raised goes beyond work conditions in the traditional sense.

It’s tempting to say that work is just about survival. Pay the bills, keep the lights on, get through the week. But that’s a shallow way of looking into it. Strip away the noise, and work remains one of the most powerful forces shaping who we are, how we connect, and the meaning we make of our lives.

From childhood, we’re asked what we want to be, not just what we want to do. A doctor, a teacher, an artist. There’s identity baked into the idea of work. It tells stories—about our values, our goals, and how we see ourselves fitting into the world.

The danger, of course, is when identity becomes too tightly bound to a job title. Layoffs, career shifts, or burnout can trigger more than financial stress—they can feel like existential crises. But that only reinforces how powerful work is. It’s not just a task list. It’s a mirror.

And when work aligns with our values—when we feel we’re contributing something—it can be one of life’s most fulfilling experiences. Viktor Frankl, a Holocaust survivor and psychiatrist, wrote that “life is never made unbearable by circumstances, but only by lack of meaning.” In his seminal book Man’s Search for Meaning, he argued that meaningful work is one of the clearest paths to a purposeful life (Frankl, 2006).

A 2019 study published in The Lancet Psychiatry found that people who worked as little as eight hours a week had significantly better mental health than those who didn’t work at all (Kamerāde et al., 2019). That’s right—just one day of work per week can reduce the risk of depression. The underlying reason is that work provides structure. It connects us to others. It gives us goals, small wins, and a reason to get out of bed. The paycheck is part of it—but not all of it.

That might explain why people often struggle during retirement, or why long-term unemployment can be so devastating. We lose more than income—we lose routine, social connection, and a sense of usefulness.

Look around. Most of our friendships, networks, and communities are built through work. Colleagues become allies, mentors, sometimes lifelong friends. Workplaces—despite their flaws—are among the last spaces where people of different generations, backgrounds, and beliefs are routinely brought together.

Yes, remote work and digital platforms have upended this. Flexibility has improved work-life balance for many, but it’s also made some people feel isolated. As we redefine workspaces, we can’t forget that humans are social creatures. We need spaces where connection and collaboration thrive. We cannot merely depend on Slack channels.

It’s time to move beyond the old industrial model of work. The goal is to have better jobs that respect human dignity, encourage creativity, and allow for balance. We need to assess the quality of work in a different manner from the way we have done thus far. We may need to start asking questions such as – Does this work matter to someone? Does it help people grow? Does it leave them better than it found them?

Because in the end, work matters. Not because it fills our calendars, but because it fills our lives—with meaning, identity, connection, and purpose.

References

• Frankl, V. E. (2006). Man’s Search for Meaning. Beacon Press.
• Kamerāde, D., Wang, S., Burchell, B., Balderson, U., & Coutts, A. (2019). A shorter working week for everyone: How much paid work is needed for mental health and well-being? The Lancet Psychiatry, 6(6), 511–518. DOI: 10.1016/j.socscimed.2019.06.006

Author: Dr Katya De Giovanni a Warranted Organizational Psychologist and Member of Parliament