5 Reasons You’re Unhappy At Work (& what to do about it)
Are you feeling trapped, stressed, or simply unsatisfied in your current job? You're not alone. Many people spend a significant portion of their lives working, and if that time is spent unhappily, it can have detrimental effects on your overall well-being. In this blog post, I’ll explore five common reasons why you might be unhappy at work and provide actionable solutions to help you turn things around. Grab your coffee and let’s get real…
You're Not Playing to Your Strengths
One of the most common reasons people feel unhappy at work is that they're not leveraging their strengths. Imagine spending your days doing tasks that don't align with your natural abilities or interests. It can be demotivating and lead to a sense of unfulfillment. And let’s be realistic, doing work that doesn’t draw on your strengths is often a lot harder. And when things are constantly tough, it can be not only be draining but shine a light on our weaknesses a little too much, leaving us feeling in adequate and unhappy.
Try this: Start by identifying your strengths and passions. What are you naturally good at, and what tasks energise you? If you immediately hit a blank proclaiming not to be good at anything (hello self-doubt) - ask other people what they see in you. Once you've identified your strengths, look for ways to incorporate them into your job. Speak with your boss about aligning your role with your strengths or explore opportunities for skill development if you need it.
You Hate Your Boss
Work relationships play a crucial role in job satisfaction. If you're dealing with conflicts, miscommunications, or a toxic work environment, it can significantly impact your happiness. Think about those Sunday nights when you’ve had a great weekend and then you realise you’ve got a meeting in the morning with Pete in Sales that you never see eye to eye with - your whole world can come crashing down pretty quickly. And that sentiment can carry with you in how you show up for the rest of the day, maybe the whole week. Make that a situation where you never see eye to eye with 80% of your team and you’re fighting a losing battle.
Try this: Open and honest communication is key. As best as possible you want to try and address any issues with your colleagues respectfully and professionally. Often times the other person doesn’t intend to make you feel the way you do, or they are unaware of the impact they’re having. Talking it through can have a huge impact. Take the conversation to a comfortable place for both, bring in external support if needed and try and seek solutions together. Consider team-building activities to improve relationships with a broader team, taking everyone off-site and getting to know one another on a more personal level can pay dividends and really strengthen trust. Of course, if the situation doesn't improve, it may be worth exploring other job opportunities or seeking guidance from HR if you feel you need to protect yourself a little more.
You're Not Putting Yourself First
While it's essential to be a team player and pull your weight to ensure you meet your performance goals, neglecting your own needs and well-being can be a huge contributor to unhappiness at work. Constantly sacrificing your personal life for work can result in burnout and decreased job satisfaction. It can be easy though to not see the impact this is having until it’s too late. Your wellbeing is like the foundation for your ability to perform and show up at work in a positive way, without it, you’re more likely to get irritated, feel frustrated, resentful, make mistakes and argue with colleagues, all of which can increase stress and see your happiness levels plummet.
Try This: Thing about the activities that give you energy, that make you feel alive, content and happy. Then take a normal working week in the calendar and allocate the time for these things first. Then, populate everything else around it. Be realistic, if a 5am Yoga class has been a pipe dream for the last 20 years, maybe it’s just not your thing. Also, reflect on the things you need to delegate or say no to and take action to make it happen. Do you need one day a week where you have an early finish? Book it in and plan for it.
Establishing boundaries like these between work and personal life and prioritising self-care can help to rejuvenate you. And if you’re laughing and thinking you’ll never stick to it, remember that taking care of yourself ultimately makes you MORE productive, let alone nicer to be around and happier human.
You've Changed, But Your Job Hasn't Changed
As individuals grow and evolve, their career aspirations and interests may shift. Staying in a job that no longer aligns with your personal and professional growth can be a significant source of dissatisfaction.
Think about it, maybe you were once single without kids when you started out and now you’re juggling a marriage and kids sports commitments meaning your priorities have changed. Maybe you used to find joy in the travel you did for work but now you value being in your home city each night, or maybe you’ve discovered different interests over the years that no longer align with the work you do. Whatever it is, it’s natural for us to change as we age and learn more about ourselves so its important to make sure we assess how our job aligns with the new version of ourselves too.
Try This: Evaluate your current job and its alignment with your long-term goals. If there's a significant mismatch, consider discussing your career aspirations with your boss or HR department and see if there are any changes that can be made. Perhaps it’s exploring opportunities for internal transfers, additional training, or external job searches that better suit your evolving interests and skills.
You're In It For The Wrong Reasons
Sometimes, people pursue a particular career path due to external pressure, societal expectations, or financial considerations rather than genuine interest or fit. When you're in a job for the wrong reasons, unhappiness can rear it’s ugly head pretty quickly. Perhaps the lure of the salary package was ‘too good to turn down’ but now you’re starting to realise that the money doesn’t offset the long hours, long commute or time away from the family enough. Or maybe you agreed to take on the team leader role thinking that was what was expected, only to realise you much prefer being the subject matter expert minus the people headaches.
Try This: Take a step back and reflect on your career choices. Are you in your current job because it's genuinely what you want, or is it due to external factors? Now, I get it, sometimes needs must and in these situations you’ve got to work out how much you have to compromise and consider the bigger picture.
But, if you have options and you realise you're in it for the wrong reasons, it might be time to reassess your career goals and consider a change that aligns with your passions and values. Doing so could be a real game changer for you and your loved ones who have to see you unhappy.
Your happiness at work is crucial for your overall well-being. It's essential to identify the reasons behind your unhappiness and take proactive steps to address them. Whether it's leveraging your strengths, improving work relationships, prioritizing self-care, aligning your job with your personal growth, or reevaluating your career choices, there are always solutions to make your work life more fulfilling.
Remember that finding happiness at work can be an ongoing journey, it doesn’t necessarily come to you overnight. It may require effort, self-reflection, and even making tough decisions, but the rewards of a satisfying and enjoyable career are well worth it. In my Ultimate Fulfilment Finder coaching program I work 1-1 with people just like you to help them nail this process in a thorough, logical and fun way that doesn’t take forever and seeing the weight lift off their shoulders and the smiles return is priceless.
I’ll leave you with this; consider how long you’ve got left to work, how many hours that is, and then think seriously about what you’re prepared to put up with. What do you want for your life?
