Things at work seem to be growing more stressful by the day. There are still the same complaints among co-workers about this client or that old software. You’re just feeling burnt out. Add to all that the seemingly endless demands of your position, that keep growing. Now you’re considering a new career path.
Maybe that is a good move and maybe it’s not. It’s a natural first instinct to consider calling it quits when bombarded by job stress. While that is sometimes the only alternative, don’t sell yourself or your employer short.
Try to mentally remove yourself from the chaos of the job and press the refresh button in your mind. Attempt an emotionally intelligent approach to the situation by looking at the company as a whole, your manager, co-workers and most importantly take a close look at yourself. Your goal here is to remove the little burdens that at some point began leaching on to you, like the complaints of co-workers or that system that always crashes. Think about the bigger picture. Set your frustrations aside so you are able to truly understand your real emotions, but the feelings of others as well.
So many times it is easy to become irritated with your surroundings when you’re burnt out. All you really need is a new perspective, not a completely new environment. Here are some questions to consider along with some potential factors to consider when thinking about your answers. A job change may very well be the right decision for you, but it is important to carefully analyze your options.
1) What drew you to this job in the first place and is that still important to your future goals?
2) What is your relationship like with your employer? It is important to remain as open and honest as possible with your employer. Maybe they can offer solutions if you bring your concerns to their attention.
3) Are the problems really unique to your job or are they issues likely to arise at any job? For example, there is a good chance co-workers are at times going to be complaining anywhere you are employed.
4) Do you feel like you are doing many tasks that were once not asked of you and are maybe not your favorite?
Again, with the smaller employee percentages at companies, this is common.
5) Are you really unhappy with your job, or do you simply need to reboot?
Before you make any job change decisions, try to look at the situation through rose colored glasses. Maybe you just need to adjust your lens.
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