In an ideal world, you’d be leaping out of bed in the morning to get to a job that excites you, challenges you, pays well, offers a path upward, and is filled with interesting and wonderful people that you admire and enjoy working with. In the real world, you’d be thrilled with three out of five of those attributes. You may even settle for two and convince yourself that it’s enough.
But are you just settling for the status quo? Check out these three signs that you’re unhappy with your current job.
Monday Morning Anxiety
Living for the weekend is one thing, but if you spend the whole work week wondering if Friday will ever come, spend Sunday in an increasing state of dread, and wake up Monday morning anxious, you might want to update your resume. Whether your stress arises from being overworked, under-challenged, or feeling like a pariah in the office, there’s a big gap between craving a couple of days of rest, entertainment, and relaxation and viewing it as the only bright hours in your world.
Watching The Clock
If you’re constantly gauging the minutes before your next break, then you’re either bored with or unchallenged by the tasks assigned to you, or you don’t have enough to do. Perhaps you feel intimidated by your boss and are unwilling to ask for more work, or perhaps you sense that the company is struggling and you don’t want to draw attention to your empty in box. Whatever the case, you may want to be more proactive even it means facing a possible change of employment.
Lacking Focus, Energy, Attention
Unhappiness can manifest in many ways, but a general lack of energy is one good indicator. If you’re getting a full night’s sleep and yet multiple cups of strong coffee can’t keep you awake and on task, there may be a problem. If your days are spent in a haze of unfocused lethargy, you may want to reconsider why. Sure, many jobs are dull and repetitious, but the trade-off may be acceptable if the pay is good and you’re surrounded by lively, interesting co-workers and an effective boss. If it’s not, you may need to seek a position that offers more challenges.
The ideal job is as rare as a unicorn, which means that a certain level of job stress is inevitable no matter what your position. If unmanaged, stress can have debilitating physical and emotional effects. If you ever feel that you’re unable to cope with the amount of stress you’re experiencing, don’t hesitate to contact a mental health professional.