Signs You’re in the Wrong Career and What to Do About It
If you’ve ever had terrible anxiety on a Sunday evening thinking about work, scrolling way too late on your phone unable to let your mind rest thinking about everything you have to do tomorrow, you’re not alone.
Most of us have experienced this, at least at one point in our careers. But the real problem is that we have normalized job dissatisfaction so much that we created a term for it- Sunday Scaries. 👻
Enjoying your work isn’t just about feeling good at the office; it impacts your entire well-being. If you’re not happy at work, you won’t be happy in other areas of your life as it bleeds into your home life, relationships, and health. Job happiness shouldn’t be seen as a luxury, but essential to your overall happiness.
As a Career Fulfillment Coach, I’ve seen it over and over again that you CAN find work you love. I have, my clients have and my family and friends have!
Work can just be for a paycheck, but I’m here to let you know that doesn’t have to be the end of the conversation.
What are the Risks of Staying in an Unfulfilling Job? ⚠️
There are hidden dangers to staying in a job you don’t like for too long that can have lasting impacts on your mind and body.
There is an emotional exhaustion from doing things over and over again that you hate. Gearing up to go to work that you dread can increase anxiety, irritability, and decrease motivation over time.
You will slowly lose confidence in yourself, your abilities, and your skills, which makes it harder to leave the job once you’re “ready” (or just so done) to take the leap.
And when you’re so drained from pushing through the day, fighting until 5pm to log off, you have no energy for the things that are ACTUALLY important in life- like your health and your relationships.
Don’t even get me started on how, as adults, we don’t have hobbies anymore!!
Just “dealing with it” becomes a long-term emotional cycle that you continue to endure day in and day out. If you start this cycle, it becomes much harder to leave with each passing day.
The Psychology Behind Work Happiness 🧠
So why is work happiness so important to us?
Humans are wired for meaningful work, connection and achievement. We have to feel that our work is making a difference and is bigger than ourselves, in some way, and want to see the fruits of our labor.
We can find work that checks all these boxes, but we have to know exactly what we’re looking for and have better filtering systems when choosing our careers.
Think about coming home from a terrible day at work where everything was going wrong. People weren’t communicating, projects got delayed, you had way more work on your plate than you should have. Usually at the end of the day, you can only flop onto the couch to recover.
Now, think about a time you were working towards something you loved and were interested in. This could be from a previous job, a volunteering opportunity, playing a sport, learning a new skill, or working on a passion project.
There's a BIG difference between feeling tired from work that you don't align with and feeling tired from work that gives you life.
Spending 40 hours in misaligned work makes you feel unfulfilled, depressed, and drained.
But spending 40 hours doing work that is aligned with your career purpose and values makes you feel excited, motivated, and productive.
The Real Cost of Staying in a Wrong Job: The Long Term Effects of Job Dissatisfaction 😵
You might be thinking, how do I know if I’m in the wrong job? There are a few tell-tale signs a career path is not for you:
You fantasize about quitting all the time.
You feel disconnected from your work, your peers and the company as a whole.
Your values are misaligned with the company or role.
Your paycheck and company perks are NOT worth the constant stress, dread and anxiety.
You're constantly questioning your abilities, skills and career path.
You’re taking way more sick days than you would like and never feel like you have enough time away.
You’re having physical ailments like headaches, migraines and digestive issues (hello IBS).
You feel continually drained from completing even the smallest of tasks, like answering emails.
You have a never-ending cycle of anxiety, stress and depression.
You have anxiety/ panic attacks from thinking about going into work. (Ever had to go to the bathroom just to cry your eye out before going to your desk? Been there.)
You’re thinking, “What am I doing with my life? Isn’t there more out there for me? This can’t be it”.
You’re not being challenged at all and feel there are no growth opportunities for you.
You don’t feel valued or respected, as an employee or a human being.
What Happens When You Enjoy Your Work ☀️
Being happy at work IS possible. When you do enjoy your work there are many GOOD signs. You will notice:
Your energy increases again and you feel more creative.
You’re no longer drained all the time after work and have energy for other things.
Your confidence grows because you’re using your natural strengths and skills.
You’re feeling positive emotions more often during your day (even if it’s just contentment).
You feel more in flow when doing tasks and projects; they don’t feel as intense or difficult.
You bring your best self to work and outside of work with your friends and family.
You don’t complain every time someone asks you about your job.
What to Do If You’re Currently Unhappy at Work 👇🏼
So what are the steps to successfully change careers if I’m unhappy? How do I transition to a career I love?
If you’re like my clients, or like I was a few years ago, I want to let you know there IS hope and you can make a change in your career if you’re not happy with where you are. It takes courage, time, and effort, but is 100% possible.
The first step is Awareness (It always is!).
If you’re not happy at work, ask yourself WHY? There must be things that aren’t aligned with what you like or need. You can journal to figure out the root of the misalignment-whether it be your job, industry, coworker, tasks, or values.
If you’re too overwhelmed even to start with this step, I have a free workbook on how to do just that!
Once you start gaining clarity on what is NOT working, you can make small shifts towards where you want to go.
Make sure you’re not putting too much on your plate at first- you don’t want to be overwhelmed at the start and give up. This is a marathon, not a sprint! Go slow and steady to win.
Here are some journaling questions to get the ball rolling:
What do I like about my job?
What do I hate about it and would change?
What types of environments do I thrive in?
What would I love to spend my days doing?
When have I actually enjoyed my work tasks/ projects and coworkers?
What am I really good at?
What do I enjoy doing?
Getting clarity can help you understand your values and strengths which creates better FILTERS for making more aligned career decisions. This is the FIRST STEP towards career fulfillment.
But if you’re ready to really CATAPULT your career clarity and growth, book a free clarity call with me and we’ll work together to find a job that you absolutely love! And I promise, I’ll be with you every step of the way. 😊
It’s time to stop settling for soul-sucking jobs that make us question ourselves and start exploring what career happiness and fulfillment can look like!
Want more Support? 👇🏼
Follow me on Instagram @laurathecareercoach_for more tips on finding fulfilling work.
