1 month ago
24
I adapt very easily into whatever situation I am in. This is most notable when I'm in a situation I don't want to be in, but have to be in. Sure, I tend to initially resist situations I don't like, but relatively quickly my mindset gets into acceptance and I start "acting my way into a new way of thinking" and my behavior and affect can kind of change along with that.
Case in point: I just did a weeklong work trip. I'm not super close with any of my coworkers, I really don't desire to be, and my job is not something I love, it just pays the bills. But I leaned into being friendly and social with everyone, committing myself to the tasks at hand. I personality mirror a bit, not even consciously, but just out of a desire to be friendly and sociable. I turn off my "I don't love this job" brain and get into "get shit done" mode full on. And I make it work. And once I'm in that mindset, I get these hits of pleasure from "doing what needs to be done in the moment," that dopamine feeling. And now, after its over and I'm back home, it's hard to get back to my "usual" self, to re-discover my compass that leads me towards those things that give me more than just dopamine hits from checking off boxes. I'm having trouble exploring new music, getting excited about my usual friend, dating, family interactions, or even finding my way back mentally to those things.
This isn't so much about work itself; I'm not under the impression that I can just hang with my best friends and do my hobbies all the time, and I actually believe having some tasks you don't love doing can be healthy in a way. It's more that whenever these kinds of non-voluntary, not-my-favorite types of situations arise, I'm so good at adapting, personality mirroring, accepting the rhythm of that moment, I feel kind of lost sometimes when I get back to "normal" day to day life.
Is this weird? Or does everyone struggle with this to some extent?
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