I’m writing this from the kitchen table in our home in Oslo. We’ve been back here for just over a week after having spent the last eight weeks in Greece on shared parental leave.
It’s been a big change of scenery, and I’m still settling back into everyday life. I’m also slowly finding my way back into my work.
I’ve really been looking forward to returning. I love the work I do, and I’ve missed connecting with clients and colleagues, teaching yoga, and creating experienes. But I’m also very happy that I’m not jumping straight back into working full-time.
Instead, I’m easing in. A little bit at a time, and gradually figuring out what this new version of everyday life can look like.
That has had me thinking about how much influence we actually have over the way we spend our days. Not everything is within our control, of course. But there are often small things we can shape, change, or make more space for.
And it reminded me of a framework I first came across during my master’s in Applied Positive Psychology at the University of Pennsylvania: job crafting
What is job crafting?
In simple terms, job crafting is about making small, intentional changes to the work you already do so that it fits you a little better. Rather than waiting for your job to change, you look at what you have some influence over and ask: What could I shape differently?
Research on job crafting has explored how people can proactively shape aspects of their work, including the tasks they do, their relationships at work, and how they think about their work.
I love this idea because it doesn’t require you to quit your job, change your entire life, or wait for the perfect circumstances.
Sometimes, there are small things we can change right where we are.
And I think the same questions can be useful beyond work, too.
Whether you’re working for someone else, self-employed, studying, caring for children, on leave, retired, or simply figuring out what this season of life looks like, there are probably parts of your everyday life that you have some influence over.
That was the idea behind “Renew” a free online gathering I hosted recently. This was my first event since having my baby, and it felt really special to step back into this work by bringing people together to move, reflect, and think about what we want more of in the season ahead. I led the attendees through journaling on reflection questions adapted the job crafting framework. I added one more area that felt important to me: our own well-being.
I wanted to share the framework in this blog post too, and walk you through the four areas we explored in this event. I invite you to reflect or journal on these questions to get new ideas on how you might bring some more intentionality into your work and/or everyday life.
1. Task crafting
What do you want to do more of, less of, or differently?
Look at the acitivites and tasks that fill your days.
What gives you energy? What drains you? Are there things you could delegate, simplify, change, or make more space for?
You won’t always have the freedom to change what you do. But sometimes there are small things within your control.
Maybe you can spend a little more time on the parts you enjoy. Maybe you can ask for help with something you don’t need to do yourself. Maybe you can approach a familiar task in a different way.
The question is simply: Is there anything I could shape a little differently?
2. Relational crafting
Who do you want to spend more time with?
Our experience of work and everyday life is shaped by the people around us.
Are there relationships you’d like to nurture? Someone you want to reconnect with? A colleague you’d like to get to know better? Or perhaps people you haven’t met yet who you’d like to make room for?
Sometimes crafting our lives means changing what we do. Sometimes it means paying more attention to who we do it with.
3. Cognitive crafting
How do you want to think about what you do?
This is about reconnecting with the meaning behind your work or your everyday responsibilities.
Why does this matter to you?
Who benefits from what you do?
Is there a bigger purpose, value, or mission that you can reconnect with?
The circumstances might not change, but sometimes the way we understand what we’re doing can.
4. Well-being crafting
What would help you feel more like yourself?
This is the piece I wanted to add when I adapted the framework for my event “Renew.”
Because when we’re thinking about how we want to shape our lives, I don’t think we should only ask what we can accomplish or how we can make our work more meaningful.
We can also ask: What supports me? What gives me energy? What helps me feel connected, grounded, cared for, or alive?
Maybe it’s protecting time for movement. Spending more time outside. Having an evening without your phone. Making plans with a friend. Getting enough sleep. Or simply giving yourself a little more space than you normally do.
It doesn’t have to be complicated.
So, what do you want to craft?
You don’t need to answer all four questions at once.
Pick one that catches your attention and spend a few minutes with it.
Write down whatever comes to mind. You might notice something you’ve been wanting to change for a while. Or you might realise that something is already working well and you want to make more space for it.
That’s what I’ve been doing too as I slowly return to work.
I’m not trying to figure everything out at once. I’m paying attention, experimenting a little, and seeing what works in this new season.
And maybe that’s what crafting our lives can look like sometimes: not starting over, but making small changes to what we already have.
What do you think? If you engaged with these job crafting questions, I’d love to hear about what came up for you. My email inbox and Instagram DMs are open, as always.
If you’d like to join me for future free gatherings like Renew, you’re welcome to sign up for my newsletter and I’ll keep you in the loop.