Should I quit my job?
We all get the Monday blues every now and then, that dreaded feeling of going into work after an enjoyable weekend spent with friends and family. But once you get over the depressing Monday morning blues, you soon get into the swing of things for the rest of the week. However, when that feeling lasts all week and you’re miserable every day, that’s when you know things need to change and it may be time to consider “Should I quit my job?”
If this sounds like a familiar situation, here’s what you can do about it…
We spend a large amount of time at work so if you’re unhappy in your job, you need to make a change. You need to start by evaluating the negative factors that are making you feel down and carefully thinking of ways to improve them. Quitting your job isn’t always the answer and you could end up in an even worse situation. Here are five important questions you must ask yourself:
- How long have you been unhappy for?
- What is causing your unhappiness at work?
- Are you having problems in your personal life? Is this affecting work?
- Do you want to quit your current job, or can you resolve the issue?
- What can you do to make yourself happier outside of work?
They may seem difficult to answer straight away but once you carefully take the time to consider your reasons, you could gain a better understanding of what’s going on. This will make it easier to tackle your problems.
Making a change
If you’ve already made your mind up and decided you want to leave your current job, don’t jump ship too fast. Get your CV polished off and begin to look for a new role elsewhere, so you have a job ready for when you leave. Ensure you don’t rush into something you’ll regret. Do your research and make sure resigning is the right thing to do. You might think it’ll make you happier, but it could end up causing you more stress and hassle. Remember, once you’ve handed in your resignation letter, there’s no going back!
Talk things through
Whether it’s to your friend or a family member, talking about your worries and concerns allows you to let off some steam. It could improve your mental wellbeing by reducing stress and getting issues off your chest. Talk things through with them, explain the problem and listen to their feedback or advice. Another person’s point of view may encourage you to see things differently.
If you comfortable you could try talking to your boss or a colleague at work about how you’re feeling. Ensure you do this with caution, carefully planning what you will say to avoid making them think you want to leave the company. Try to be honest with them but remain professional and positive.
Making time
Whether you’re unhappy or not in your job, we all get stressed and feel pressured at some point in our career. Busy jobs can negatively affect your mood at work and at home. It’s easy to get swamped with jobs that need finishing and leave little time for yourself. Try to be disciplined with your work load, finding a right work / life balance, set a ‘cut off time’ for work and stick to it. Overworking can contribute to your unhappiness, affecting your productivity and overall life.
When you finish work, try making time to visit a gym, go for a walk, or even just chill out in front of the television with your feet up. These activities may help you to start feeling less miserable at work and could be the answer to solving your problems. If you’re happy outside of work your overall mood will improve daily.
Move on
If you’ve tried to improve your circumstances at work and you still have that dreaded feeling when you wake up in the morning, it’s probably an indication that it’s time to “quit my job”, change jobs or even your career. Instead of walking out and quitting, remember to find and secure a new job beforehand so you won’t be left unemployed. Everyone’s situation is different so follow your gut instinct and always put your health and happiness first. Get rid of those blues and do what makes you happy.
If you’ve made up your mind to leave, before you shout “I quit my job!” around the office, take a look at our top tips on how to resign from your job.
