How to pull yourself out of a work rut
It’s a common feeling many of us have in our jobs.
As companies search for ways to maximize efficiencies, employees sometimes feel squeezed by a need to “do more with less”. Such things as limited staff, reduced budgets, and greater expectations to do more can cause burn out or exhaustion. This can lead to a feeling of being stuck in a rut.
If you’ve experienced this feeling in your job, there are ways to pull yourself out of the rut. A recent article by CareerBuilder.com highlighted ways to pull you out of this work-related funk. Some of ways include:
Zero in on your likes and dislikes–Take some time to really analyze what you like and dislike about your job. What tasks, people, or projects prove to be most enjoyable to you? These represent the strengths and passionate areas of your job. Conversely, list things that are lacking or frustrating about your job. Knowing these will enable you to focus on the passionate ones and minimize the time wasted on things you dislike.
Engage your manager– have that heart-to-heart conversation with your manager. This will show your manager you are a committed employee. It may be just the conversation needed to turn things around for you. You will learn how committed your manager is to helping you along in your career path and identifying new opportunities.
Focus on your approach to your job– try to be creative by going above and beyond what’s expected in your job. Can you take something you’ve done day in and day out and make it more unique or valuable? Be visible by trying to interact with more individuals at work. These new interactions may lead to an awareness of new interests or opportunities.
In short, burnout isn’t unique and is experienced by most people at one time or another in their jobs. The important thing is to figure out how to address it and turn things around.
Know that you can take actions on your own to improve your situation before making that ultimate decision of whether the job is right for you-or if it’s time to move on.
From The Key Corporate Services Blog Team
