Did you find yourself dragging yourself out of bed again this morning? Is the thought of work making you dread the weekdays, and you can’t wait for the clock to strike 6pm, even though you haven’t reached the office yet?
You’re starting to lose the sparks you once had for your job, and quitting has probably crossed your mind more than once. Instances like these are a common syndrome in the Singapore workforce. Thanks to increasing workloads and competitive nature of jobs, it’s not uncommon for employees to feel burnt out too soon.
Leaving the workplace seems to be the only option when stuck in such a situation -but that’s where you’re wrong. A better option would be to stop complaining and think of something to turn things around. In short, it’s time to learn to love your job again. It’s not as hard as you think- all you need is a bit of rekindling.
Trace your steps
You’re in this job for a reason, so remind yourself of what drove you to pursue a career in this industry in the first place. There’s a possibility that you just lost track for a second and you’re letting go of the drive that first brought you there. Remember the excitement you felt when you first landed a job, the happiness in finding your friends in the business, and the satisfaction of delivering good results to your boss. Find that one good thing about your job that can beat all the negativity you’ve been feeling.
Identify what’s bugging you
You wouldn’t lose interest for no reason. Does it have something to do with your colleagues? Is your boss a little too hard to deal with? Maybe you don’t find your job challenging anymore? Or is it possible that you’ve been fault finding in some departments? Whatever the reasons may be, determine whether you can fix them. If you can, do everything in your power to influence the situation so you find your job lovable again.
Make a change
Some employees feel extremely lethargic and “over it”, which can lead to boredom at work. But boredom should never be a reason to leave a job. There is always something you can do to suggest changes and make things more interesting in the workplace. Even if it’s just decluttering your office space, joining a different group for lunch, or volunteering for some extra-curricular activities in the office, it can help you ease the tension you feel and take your mind off some of your troubles. Talk to your boss about the possibility for a different role, if the reason for your boredom is that your job is no longer challenging. Sometimes a slight switch of responsibilities is all you need to feel the love again.
Reach out to your colleagues
At this stage in your career, you may feel discouraged while your colleagues enjoy their days at the office. They perk up at the mention of a new project, while you are sulking beside the coffee machine. Don’t isolate yourself, instead, go and reach out to your colleagues. Talk to them, and if you’re close enough, air out your concerns and grievances. Who knows, maybe one or two them have the right words to spark that dying flame inside of you and motivate you to love your job again.
Think of the future
Working for any industry is an investment, and you wouldn’t want to waste all your efforts. When caught in this situation, think hard on how this would affect your future. Is it worth risking to start all over again without the assurance of what’s to come?. Imagine where you could be five years from now. It’s always safe to consider all the ‘safe’ options first and then decide if the best option for you is to quit or fight for it.
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