Thoughts

Stuck in a Job You Hate? Three Steps to a Healthy Change of Direction

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If you’re at a career crossroads but you have no idea what you want to do with your life, this is no need to panic. You may just need a little time out to work out what matters to you, and what makes you feel motivated. These ideas will help you work out which career path could suit you down to the ground.

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 Slow Down

In an ideal world, you wouldn’t quit your current job until you have your next perfect job lined up. Unfortunately, that’s not always how it goes. Sometimes work becomes Anxiety Alley and you have to take a step back. Perhaps you’re nearing burnout and your mental health is suffering. Maybe you’ve noticed signs of adderall addiction. When your life has become unhealthy and your working life is unsustainable, that’s your body’s way of telling you that you have to slow down and look after yourself. Now is not the time to send out resumes to every potential employer out there. Now is the time to take a step back and recover your sense of balance. Whether that means taking unpaid leave or even taking a break from an enabling relationship, what matters is giving yourself a little space to get back in touch with what you need to be happy. Once you’ve recovered your equilibrium, you’ll be in a better position to start moving forward.

Go With the Flow

Ever heard of a Flow State? This is when you’re so engrossed in whatever you’re doing that you hardly notice the time passing. When last did you have the experience? Rediscovering what gets you into a flow state is a great first step towards working out what types of things make you happy and satisfied. And if you discover that the activity you most enjoy is something you once did all the time (perhaps as a teenager) but no longer do, don’t worry about it: leaving passions behind because they aren’t ‘useful’ is quite normal as we grow up, and that’s okay. Once you know what you love to do, there’s no reason not to go back and pick it up again!

Embrace Change

Most of us are first faced with the question “what do you want to be?” at a very early age. Around about the end of high school, it becomes a question that demands some kind of answer. But the truth is most of us don’t have the tools we need at that young age to make such profound decisions that will have far-reaching consequences. So if you didn’t know what you wanted to be at sixteen or seventeen, don’t sweat it: most people genuinely don’t. So if the job you’re in now isn’t right for you, it’s worth noting that the right job for you could be something totally different—it may be a different industry, or involve a different way of working completely. Once you accept this, it’s easier to see the diversity of options available to you, rather than seeking out options within the same narrow track.

If you’re unsure where to go next with your career, these ideas will help you take the first steps towards positive change.

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