Occupational Identity - Component One , Part Two

1. MY OCCUPATIONAL
IDENTITY
Beth Robertson

2. DOING SPORT AND EXERCISE
I have done many sports during my
lifetime. My two favourite sports are
water polo and horse riding. I feel
that these define me as an individual
as it portrays how determined and
competitive I can be. Doing and
partaking in sports means forming
connections with fellow team mates.
This entails participating and
working collectively to achieve the
same outcome. I am obligated to try
my very best as it is a team effort
and we all have to work together. It
also provides me with occupational
satisfaction because I receive large
amount of enjoyment partaking in

3. EATING WELL
I value eating well as it makes
me feel good about myself. It
increases my overall health and
well being. It has become a daily
routine and I am completely
habituated to this healthy
lifestyle. It enables me to have a
positive outlook on life and keep
me motivated to achieving all
my aspirations. Since I only
started eating healthily recently I
have noticed how much it has
changed my attitude and
perspective to life. I really
appreciate how significant this
occupation has been to me and
that I am able to share my
lifestyle with those around me. I
have also learnt how it brings
friends and families together.

4. SOCIALISING WITH FRIENDS
Friendships are a significant aspect of my
life. I feel that they have shaped and
formed my occupational identity. This is
due to the fact that throughout my life I
have shared experiences with many
different individuals. Some of these
friendships have been unhealthy but they
have strengthened me as an individual.
They have made me who I am today.
Having friends enables me to share my
goals, dreams and fears with them so I
don’t have to carry this burden alone. It has
allowed me to grow into myself by learning
about the types of people I value being
associated with and who I admire as role
models.

5. BEING SOUTH AFRICAN
Being south African is a big
part of who I am. It means
being part of a culture and a
different society. I associate
myself with many different
occupations and traditions as
that is were I grew up. I am
part of a very diverse
background and this
provides me with a sense of
pride. As my father is a New
Zealander I identify with
having characteristics which
are both typical of New
Zealanders and South
Africans. These include ;
loving the outdoors, being
extremely outgoing, friendly
and honest.

6. BEING A SISTER
Being a sister means the
world to me. I have been
an older sister for 16 years
now and it encourages me
to improve on myself. I
strive to be a role model to
my little sister so that she
can look up to me. I value
her love and support. She
is always there to support
me when I need her. We
have many similarities as
we were brought up by the
same parents although we
are still extremely
different people. I still
however feel obliged to
care for her and nurture
her as she still has a lot to
learn in life.

7. BEING OUT IN NATURE
When I am in the outdoors I feel as if I am
one with nature. It allows me to have time
to reflect on who I am and where I see
myself in the future. It helps to reduce any
stress, anger and fears I may be
experiencing. This relieves me of anxiety
and I value this occupation as it is
extremely therapeutic . Being part of
nature enables me to be myself free of
judgement and pressure from the rest of
society.
It is part of my identity as I am tied solely
to my memories created within .

8. BECOMING PART OF FLAT
Becoming a member of a flat involves a
lot of transition. During this year I have
had to adjust to living with a group of
unique individuals. I have learnt how to
become a good listener and support
my friend during their journey through
their tertiary life. We have all learnt so
much from each other as we all have
different experiences, memory and
knowledge which we share amongst
ourselves. It is very special to be part
of a flat and we all rely heavily on each
other to help share the obligation and
routines within the flat. This is
especially meaningful to me as I have
created life long bonds with all of my
flat mates and I consider them as un-

9. BECOMING QUALIFIED AS AN
OCCUPATIONAL THERAPIST
I am determined and passionate about
becoming a qualified Occupational
Therapist(OT). Currently, I am a year two
occupational therapist student and I am
studying at Wintec. During this process I
have become part of a OT family as all my
fellow students have been super
encouraging and supportive of each
other. Through becoming OT’s in training
we have all found a sense of belonging in
this little community that we have
created. This occupation is meaningful to
me as I have created life long friendships
and I have feel fulfilled learning about
how to improve peoples lives.

10. BELONGING TO A GYM
I belong to a gym which
makes me part of the
community. I feel a sense
of belonging when I am at
gym. I am united with all
these people I don’t know ,
yet we are all working to
achieve the same goal. Our
purpose is to get fitter,
stronger and to motivate
each other to persevere so
we don’t give up. I feel
content knowing that we
are all here for the same
reason and that everyone
has their own story of how
they became part of this

11. BELONGING TO A FAMILY
Being part of a family means having
responsibilities. It means taking care
of each other and ensuring everyone
is well looked after. I love belonging
to a my family as both my nuclear
and extended family is very close.
We accept each other for who we are
despite our differences and help
each other improve on our flaws.
Everyone has flaws and family
enables you to become a better
version of yourself without
criticising.