“Feeling stuck or unfulfilled is often due to unmet (or unspoken) expectations,” wrote Chelsea Jay, who is a career coach. “Being honest about where you expected to be, what truly makes you happy, and what type of life you want to live is the start to moving forward.
If you're feeling unfulfilled at work, that's okay. You're not alone. We hope these tips help you figure out how you like to create value and help you gain the confidence you need to leave your job and find a better one. Need more help with your career?
Common Reasons for Not Feeling Fulfilled at Work
Lack of challenge. No path to growth. Not feeling seen and appreciated. Lack of control over the environment.
In addition to the physical effects, there are also mental health impacts of being in an unfulfilling career. These mental health effects can be a lot more insidious. Research has linked work-related stress to symptoms such as: Higher levels of depression.
Feeling bored with your job often shows career stagnation. It can show you that perhaps you have spent too long in your current position or you need a change in your day-to-day life. Consider looking for a new job that makes you feel more fulfilled.
A lack of purpose is a key reason why many jobs feel boring or meaningless. Humans are created to seek, explore and contribute to a bigger cause than themselves. Any organizational system that deprives them of this instinct is broken.
Perhaps one of the reasons you can't seem to get anything done at work is that you spend too much time and energy thinking about it during your off-hours. Lack of work-life balance can leave you feeling depleted and drained. So, be sure to take time for hobbies, friends and family in the evenings and on weekends.
Yes if: You're Going to Get Career-Building Experience
Even if the job description sounds dull, if you can get essential experience and learn some valuable skills, it's worth going for it. Then, after you've bulked up your resume, you can start looking for more exciting jobs where you can use your new talents.
There are many things that can make someone feel stuck at a company—fear of searching for a new job, love a team you don't want to leave, fear of retaliation from coworkers/company in a given field, lack of other opportunities, loss of stability (income, insurance, etc.), and more.
In an ideal world, you should stay at each job for a minimum of two years. However, if you quickly come to realize you made the wrong choice when accepting a position, don't feel obligated to stay at the company until your two-year anniversary.
When you are not able to derive joy from your work or when you cannot feel good about finishing a task or being happy when a new one is offered, you should recognize that your skills and interests are not appropriate for the job.
“I recently learned about this term called quiet quitting, where you're not outright quitting your job but you're quitting the idea of going above and beyond,” Khan says. “You're still performing your duties, but you're no longer subscribing to the hustle-culture mentality that work has to be your life.
Laziness can be caused by a number of things, for instance, a lack of motivation, no clear direction or interests, or even a feeling of overwhelm. There is also our evolutionary trait. We are hardwired to preserve our energy and lay low.
Being busy is fueled by perfectionism while being productive is fueled by purpose. Being busy is about working harder while being productive is about working smarter. Being busy is about being good at everything while being productive is about being great at a few important things.
Generally, when you don't want to go to work, the underlying reasons lie within a few categories: work, home, health, and expectations. Each of these factors could be contributing to feeling like you don't want to work anymore. You don't want to go to work because of the work environment.
Apathy at work tends to present as a lack of motivation, which is usually caused by a sense that your work doesn't matter, that you're replaceable, or that your skills and experience are underappreciated by those you work alongside every day.
Lencioni identifies the three signs of job misery as anonymity, irrelevance and "immeasurement."
Research suggests that highly intelligent people get bored easily and spend more time thinking, behaviour that comes across as 'laziness'. A study by the Florida Gulf Coast University looked at a group of 'thinkers' and 'non-thinkers', studying their activity levels over the course of a week.
"Boreout" at work is chronic boredom, and studies have shown it can cause depression, anxiety, stress, insomnia and higher turnover. Boredom is an emotional state characterized by feeling unstimulated, unfocused and restless, yet lacking the desire to engage. Or in short — boredom exists when we are mentally idle.