We’ve all been there, in work and no matter what you try your concentration, energy and productivity has plummeted to unseen levels. Mentally it feels like there’s a ‘stop’ sign in your brain that is preventing you from functioning. When this occurs you need to work out why it’s happened, is it lack of sleep, difficulty of a task or workload? But finding out why you’re in a work slump won’t help you pinpoint the true reason behind it. Listen to your body both physically and mentally to work out what it’s telling you. It could be that you physically have a headache but it could also indicate that mentally your head isn’t in the role anymore and this funk is permanent. It’s time to take action and we’ll give you few tips on how.
It’s not all or nothing
If you feel like you’ve progressed as far as you can in your role, unable to get the salary you deserve or believe you’ve been in the same company far too long, the first thing is to do is to not make a decision straight away and jump into a new job without much consideration. Continue working at the same level of productivity you always have, see if you can achieve that salary raise, be issued with training investment or remember why you fell in love with the role and company originally – this can also help to increase your motivation in your current position. While doing this you are allowing yourself time to think about what you really want from your next role; whether it be a promotion, complete change of career or moving from permanent to contractual employment, don’t rush it a decision that can transform your work and personal life very quickly.
Be proactive
When your role becomes mundane and the Sunday dread of Monday becomes part of your weekly routine don’t ignore these red flags just because work isn’t unbearable and you’ve been there for so long it seems easier to stay. The lack of motivation and want to work is inevitably only going to snowball if you don’t resolve it. Now that you’ve not rushed into resigning and given yourself space to think about what you want to do; now it’s time to take action. Plan how you’re going to achieve your goals. This could range from volunteering, attending networking meet-ups to relocating and personal financial investment in attaining qualifications. It’s important to ensure your personal life is a factor in this as work life balance is an ongoing juggle for employees so don’t unconsciously put yours out of kilter by striving for a career that leaves you stressed and alone.
There’s never a perfect time
You know you’re not happy with your role and the way your career is heading but you’ll do something about it once the time is right. The time will never be right. It’s important to focus your energy on working out what you want in your career and planning how to achieve it rather than delaying your dreams and waiting for your life to be in a perfect position. It most probably never will be and that’s not a bad thing, its life. The right time will happen through your planning and actioning of achieving your career goals – you create it yourself. Don’t compare yourself to others either and measure yourself against what they achieved by your age and years you’ve been at work. Doing this can further delay you achieving your career goals and place you deeper into the funk as it may not your confidence and self-belief.
Are you ready to get rid of the funk and start the journey to achieving the role that will have you leaping out of bed in the morning? If so, check out our top tips on securing that dream job, starting with how to write the perfect CV.
