In a Work Slump? Four Ways to Get out of It.
You dread coming into work every morning. It’s not that you necessarily hate your boss or your co-workers, but you’re just bored…with everything. If you find yourself not caring, unmotivated, and watching the clock constantly, you’ve more than likely hit a “work slump.” Work slumps are awful. Unhappily you just go through the motions and eagerly anticipate the weekend. But you shouldn’t have to endure 8 hours of your day bored and unhappy. You should do something to correct the issue. Here are a couple of things to consider:
1. Find the Root of Problem—The first thing you want to do is identify what is causing your boredom/unhappiness. Are you not challenged enough? Are you tired of doing the same thing over-and-over? Are you burnt out? Fresh out of creative ideas? Depending on your job, you’ll want to ponder some ways that you can get out of your rut—ways that you can modify/improve your current predicament like adding responsibilities or maybe even scheduling a retreat or conference to enhance your education in a particular field. You also may need just a good ol’ vacation to “recharge.” Talk to your supervisor about some of your ideas and see if you the two of you can work something out.
2. Switch Departments Within the Company—Your work slump may have emerged from the specific position that you hold. Never tell your boss that you’re thinking about quitting (he or she might just say “well you can leave now”). But do tell your boss that you’re interested in exploring other areas within the company—or at the very least switching teams if that’s how your company operates. Even if you don’t have a degree for the position you might be interested in, your boss just may allow you to venture into another department. At the beginning you’ll most likely have to prove you can handle working in a different area and will likely have to juggle two job responsibilities with no pay raise for a while. Once your boss knows that you can successfully do the job, he or she may switch you over permanently.
3. Same Position, New Company—If you love what you do but just don’t think things are looking too promising at your current place of employment—for example, maybe there’s not enough room for growth/advancement. Or if you’re just ready to move on to a higher paying company, then start looking for new jobs. Use some of your sick or vacation days to go on interviews but don’t quit your current job until you’ve sealed the deal somewhere else. Even if you are perfectly happy with your employer, it’s always a good idea to keep your eye open for better opportunities. You never know what you might find.
4. Return to School—Lastly, if you’re just bored with your job title and would like to do something completely different, remember that you can always return to graduate school and pursue other endeavors. You can quit your job and just focus on school, or you can pursue night classes. Either way, returning to school is a great way to keep you busy and help you work towards landing a job that will truly make you happy. Of course, the financial implications of this decision have to be considered carefully.
