Version 2.0
Have you ever found yourself answering “everything is fine” when it really isn't? Or smiling at a meeting when all you really wanted was to turn off the camera and disconnect from the world?
Often at work we are asked to show only our “adjusted”, “neutral”, “adequate” version. It's as if there were an invisible instruction manual for conduct that dictates what we can or can't feel, what we can or can't say, what we can or can't be.
As time goes by, this more “professional” version is gaining prominence, and the real one is left behind the scenes, forgotten.
But after all, how much of yourself do you actually take to work?
The mask
Authenticity is often valued in company slogans - “be yourself”, “bring out your best self”, “value what makes you unique” - but in practice this can become a major challenge. Being authentic involves risks: the risk of disliking others, of being misunderstood, of being seen as “too emotional”, “too”, “intense” or “unprofessional”.
Then we put on the mask: the one that always smiles when our body is tired, that agrees when it really wants to question or is in doubt, that feigns tranquility when anxiety is lurking. It may be a strategy that we use to protect ourselves, but it can impact our well-being.
Emotional work is really hard work
This silent emotional effort that we make every day has a name: emotional work.
The sociologist Arlie Hochschild was the one who described this phenomenon for the first time in 1983 - the effort to manage emotions to match the norms of emotional expression and the expectations of the professional context.
It's not always visible, but it's everywhere: from customer service, teaching, team leadership, management positions, and even runner conversations.
This is what we do when we smile even when we are tired, when we show patience on days when we just wanted to be silent, or when we control frustrations to maintain “a good environment”.
And, like any other type of work, emotional labor comes at a cost. When it is constant and not recognized, it ends up consuming internal resources, giving rise to what we call emotional dissonance - the conflict between what we feel and what we express - and contributes to the emotional exhaustion that so often precedes burnout.
What is the solution to this? - “authenticity called to the front desk!”
Being authentic isn't about saying everything you think. It's not about dismissing emotions or giving unfiltered opinions. It's acting in a way that aligns with your values, even when you adapt the way you express yourself. It's about finding a balance point where you respect the context and are true to yourself.
Authenticity is basically a matter of integration. Recognizing your emotional work - and learning to manage it in a healthy way - is part of this integration.
It's not about “not feeling”, but about giving a name to what you feel, so you don't get lost in the role you play.
And you, how many versions of you are working every day?
You may be the version that is excited on Monday mornings and the one that is exhausted on Friday in the late afternoon. You can be the version of the “impeccable professional” in meetings and the “human who feels” in the company corridors.
But maybe - and this is the most important thing - you can simply start allowing all of these versions to talk to each other.
Because work is part of life, not the other way around.
And if there's no room for who you are in it, the price may be higher than you imagine.
The truth is that keeping a character is exhausting. An authentic gym class!
When we spend too much time playing roles, we begin to lose touch with what our needs, values, and limits are — and this weighs heavily on our mental health.
And you, how long are you going to be able to keep that role without forgetting who is playing it?