Most of us have been there at some point, or might be there now. It could be an ongoing job dissatisfaction, or a bleep of low feelings on an otherwise satisfactory journey. I certainly can speak from experience, after having an 18-month episode unhappy in a role. I don’t wish this to anyone! It surely impacts our presence at work and well beyond. So how to navigate that challenging time, sometimes day by day?
When you are not where you are meant to be, circumstances affect you mentally, emotionally and sometimes physically. The chatter in your head grows louder with all the things you dislike right now about your job. And therefore they seem to keep showing up. You start dreading going to work, and wondering how you will get through the day. To hide your own feelings you skilfully put on a ‘polished’ face that is truly exhausting. You might start de-socialising a bit from colleagues to cope better. Sometimes it goes all the way to affecting your sleep, your health, your relationships.
So if this is where you are, here are my key strategies to lift your spirits at work and start working towards a change:
- Reframe your mindset: as hard as it seems when things are tough, this is the best way to get through them is by choosing to see the situation from a different angle. I’m not saying see everything with pink-coloured glasses. But find another lens to make it appear better and easier on you. There is always, always one. For instance that you are doing it because you are working towards something else. Or that work is lower in your values than your family right now. We all have the capacity to shift our paradigm, and it comes in very handy on those times.
- Build yourself some space and time to recharge: when you deplete your energy levels, it is crucial that you find opportunities to recover them. This prevents your situation from becoming much worse (trust me, I have learnt the other way). In other words grab some breaks, add in some fun or personal things in your work days so you do not let the grim get to you. It could be as simple as taking a walk, listening to something you like, or eating nice food.
- Use your strengths: they will allow you to re-inject some motivation and engagement into your job. Once you know what your unique strengths are, start focusing on embedding one each week into your work. It is a way to tweak your own tasks in a way that is most favourable to you. Results guaranteed.
- Get real about planning a change: you would probably know change is needed, but it is not always easy to take action. And uncertainty looming over your head can make you procrastinate. It is ironic that sometimes when we need the most change, we can also resist it dearly. We find excuses in the circumstances around us, or wait for them to change in our favour. In my case, I waited…months. There is a shorter path!
Living in the land of job dissatisfaction calls for a lot of personal strength and resilience, fact. But it is temporary, and usually the much-needed pathway we need to gather the courage to take the next leap. You can see it as the sign that you are ready for so much more, but somehow are still resisting it with your mind and all those good reasons. Knowing what you dislike about your current situation informs you on what you really want. Good news are coming. In the meantime the above will help you nurture yourself.
