Do you hit snooze fit times in the morning before forcing yourself out of bed? Do you clench the steering wheel fiercely on your morning commute, dreading the day’s events before they’ve even begun? Do you fly out the door on Friday afternoons with all the zeal and zest of a teenager heading into the weekend? If so, and if you are feeling a little less than enamored with your job at the moment, you’re far from alone. In fact, burnout has been a recurring theme for many since the onset of the pandemic.
But, before you give in to your desire to give it all up and join in on the great resignation, consider these five tips for turning it all around:
- Learn to Fall In Love With Your Job Again. Is there a way that you can make your job and your relationships with coworkers fun again? Just like any other long-term relationships, we’ve got to keep working on the ones we have with coworkers and higher ups. Look to form new alliances and incorporate moments of humor in your day. Maybe you can start a lunchtime kick ball tournament or invite some peers out for lunch. When we love our team, we are less likely to leave and much more likely to enjoy the 9 to 5 environment (time passes by quicker, too).
- Uncover Ways to Improve Your Situation. Can you find a way to maximize the tasks and functions that you love to do while minimizing or delegating those that you are less passionate about? Can you pitch a new project or find a fresh way to tackle the old and repetitive? Do what you can to make your day-to-day tasks more enjoyable by focusing on what you like to do instead of avoiding what you dread.
- Check on Your Self-Care. Maybe you feel burnt out because you are not getting enough sleep or downtime. Pay attention to your schedule and ensure that you are maintaining proper work-life balance, getting enough sleep, eating well, and are spending time on other areas of your life that are important to you. Find time for your hobbies and passions, and be sure to spend time with those people who are most important to you. A good workout never hurts either.
- Change Your Role. Is it possible for you to give up your role without leaving the organization? A fresh start in a new position could do wonders for your mindset. Scan for open opportunities and ask around. There may be a job opening up in the near future or perhaps you can even have a position created for you. Maybe you are just bored with the repetitive routine you’ve been stuck in. Try to find a way to switch it up without leaving your steady paycheck behind.
- Is Entrepreneurship and Option? If all else fails, perhaps you should consider entrepreneurship as the way to go. Business ownership is appealing to many of us because we can take on something new while taking control of our earnings and lives. It could be that you are tired of working for other people and would prefer to work for yourself instead. Why not give it a go?
~Charlene Walters is the author of Launch Your Inner Entrepreneur and the host of the TV Show Launch which is now streaming on Roku, Amazon Fire and Apple TV (DB & A).
