Bored? Feeling unmotivated or apathetic about work? Missing the honeymoon period when you first started where nothing felt impossible?
Feeling like you’re falling out of love with your work can be a real kick in the guts. But it’s important to try to rekindle the flame before looking to greener pastures. Here are five tricks to fall back in love with your job.
1. Learn a new skill
Sometimes job dissatisfaction stems from boredom - if you’ve mastered the job, work becomes routine. So, spice things up by learning a new skill.
Sign up for internal training, take an external class, start networking with people with similar career interests or seek out a mentor. Do something new that will make you step outside your comfort zone and prime you for a promotion or career change.
2. Switch things up
Big changes are made up of little changes. So, if every day is starting to feel like Groundhog Day, make some small adjustments into your workday or environment.
For instance, you could tidy up your desk or organise your inbox to help clear your mind. Or, if your company offers flexibility, try altering your work schedule - could you start later or finish earlier? Is there a chance you can work one day from home to break up the week?
Even asking whether you can move to another part of the office can feel invigorating and may mean you get to know some new people.
So get to it! After all, change is as good as a holiday.
3. Take breaks
If you’re feeling depleted or negative about work, or workplace stress feels all-consuming, then you could be suffering from burn out.
Burnout is on the rise in Australia, with approximately 44% of people experiencing symptoms. And, all too often, victims of burnout don't see it coming until it's too late.
But it doesn't have to get to that point. Plan a holiday to relax and rest. And start weaving in some relaxation time for yourself every day - for every 1.2 to 2 hours worked give yourself 5 to 10 minutes downtime to physically and mentally reset.
4. Do more of what you enjoy
John Assaraf once said “Do more of what you love, less of what you tolerate and none of what you hate.” And we couldn’t agree more.
Write down a list of tasks that you love doing and try to do more of them! Speak to your manager about making these duties a bigger part of your work day. Perhaps you can swap some tasks with someone in a similar role, or work with your supervisor to reassess business needs and redesign your role.
5. Seek out happiness
Happiness breeds happiness. It also increases efficiency and productivity. So, if you find yourself in a slump, take a look around you. Are you surrounding yourself with passionate, energetic people?
If not, perhaps it’s time to expand your network - attend events where you can meet like-minded professionals, or participate in social mixers to get to know your colleagues better. Passionate people are contagious and may spark new, positive feelings about your work and company
