It is safe to say that everyone feels burned out from time to time. If you have been non-stop busy at work while taking care of your family and elderly parents, along with tackling home improvement projects and cleaning out the garage, it’s understandable that you may feel extra exhausted and unmotivated to do anything.
But if you are finding it consistently hard to concentrate at work, you are suffering from physical symptoms like headaches and stomachaches, you are crabby all the time and you have to figuratively drag yourself out the door to your car for the morning commute, you might have a more severe case of job-related burnout.
If these feelings don’t go away pretty quickly, it may be a clear sign that you might want to consider a new career.
For example, let’s look at three classic signs of burnout at work and what new jobs might help cure these negative feelings:
1. You Don’t Feel Appreciated
If your boss never tells you “Hey, thanks for your great work on this project—you did an amazing job” but instead micromanages you and constantly demands that you work overtime, you probably feel unappreciated. The overall culture at your office is pretty toxic, and there is not a lot of support coming from the top to you and your co-workers.
If this sounds all-too familiar, you might consider leaving this negative work environment for a new career in technology. Not only are tech jobs readily available, but they tend to be at companies that place a strong emphasis on positive workplace culture.
The owners of tech companies typically believe that a happy employee is a productive one, so they often offer a casual dress code, at-work perks like catered lunches and on-site coffee bars, and a fun and upbeat environment where you will feel valued and appreciated.
2. Work-Life Imbalance
If your job takes up so much of your time and energy that you don’t have any gas left in your figurative tank for your kids, hubby, and friends, this is a sure-fire cause for a major burnout. If this describes your current career, you might want to consider a more flexible job.
For example, you can become an Independent Business Owner with Amway and earn money by selling the company’s products to other people. You can work on your own schedule, from a home office, and conduct much of your work online.
If this sounds appealing, watch this YouTube video that explains more about Amway and how it works, and how those who are sick of the 9-to-5 grind can earn money while being their own boss and deciding when and where they want to work.
3. Feeling Like What You Do Doesn’t Matter
If you slave away for 40-plus hours a week at a job that makes you feel like you have not made a tangible difference in anyone’s life, that can definitely lead to burnout. If you’d like to have a career where you know you are helping people every day at work, you might want to leave your current job for one in the humanities field.
Common careers in humanities include being a teacher, counselor, event planner and/or travel agent. Granted, you will work hard at these jobs too, but at the end of the day you will leave the office feeling like you truly helped others—whether it’s your students or clients.
You Deserve to Be Happy at Work
Life is too short to be in a career that makes you feel burned out. In addition to causing you to despise your job, burnout can negatively impact your physical and mental health.
By recognizing the signs of burnout and what jobs might be a better fit for you, you can re-take control of your career and happiness and have time and energy for your family and friends and most importantly—yourself.
Identity Magazine is all about guiding women to discover their powers of Self-Acceptance, Appreciation, and Personal Achievement.
We ask that every contributor and expert answer the Identity questions in keeping with our theme. Their answers can be random and in the moment or they can be aligned with the current article they have written. In that way, and as a team, we hope to encourage and motivate each other, thus inspiring you to Get All A’s.
What have you accepted within your life, physically and/or mentally? Additionally, what are you still working on accepting? Now, we’re not talking about resignation, rather stepping into, embraced, and owned.
I’ve accepted that for the foreseeable future, I will probably never have a home that will be featured in a Martha Stewart magazine with kids, a hubby and 5 pets we have a lot of “stuff” in our home. I’m still working on accepting that my kids are getting older and someday they will move out, which means maybe I will get a shot at that Martha Stewart photo shoot one day!
Appreciation is everything. What have you learned to appreciate about yourself and/or within your life, physically and mentally? On the other hand OR in contrast, are there elements of who you are that you’re still working on appreciating?
I have learned to appreciate that I’m a good friend to people and that I’m always there for them when I need them. I think I’m still working on appreciating how stepping on Legos at 2 a.m. in bare feet just means you have happy kids in the home who enjoy playing with their toys.
Share with us one of your most rewarding achievements in life? Tell us not only what makes YOU most proud but also share the goals and dreams that you still have.
My most rewarding achievement by far is being a mom. My two sons make me so proud and I love being with them. As for goals and dreams, I would love to rent an RV one day and drive around the country with my family.
