Rainy days and Mondays get everyone down. And even if you love your job, work is … work. That being said, if you’re constantly feeling miserable on the job, your feelings might be more than just a spell of the blues. If your job is bringing you down, that’s a clear sign that it’s time to move on.
Here are a few indicators that work is actually making you unhappy.
You hate all your coworkers
Everyone has someone at the office they might not get along with — a Toby Flenderson to their Michael Scott, so to speak.
But you definitely shouldn’t be feeling that level of animosity toward all or even most of your coworkers. If your colleagues are bumming you out, it’s possible that you’re just unlucky or the company culture is toxic.
Either way, it’s not a good situation if you’re consistently upset over drama going down in the office.
As the American Psychological Association reports, constant stress doesn’t just take a toll on your mindset. It can have an adverse physical effect too. So working in an environment where you feel like you’re always being attacked can really do a number on your health in the long term.
You loathe your boss
There are so many clichés out there about mean and unreasonable bosses, but this one’s actually pretty important.
If you don’t mesh with your supervisor’s managerial style, that’s a major problem and could leave you feeling low — especially if they’re a bully.
You hate Sundays and can barely get out of bed on most days
This one’s understandable, to an extent. Beds are pretty awesome. Those among us who aren’t perky, superhuman morning people often prefer to snuggle up and hit the snooze button. Plus, it’s fine to feel a little twinge of sadness on a Sunday night, knowing that you’ll have to work in the morning.
However, if peeling yourself off your mattress is a daily, emotional battle, that could be a sign that you really dread going to work. And if you loathe Sundays, that’s likely a bad sign as well.
“When I was in finance, every Sunday at night I would have the Sunday blues,” banker-turned-Googler Sameer Syed previously told Business Insider. “It was like, ‘Oh God, I have work tomorrow. Oh God, I have to wake up early.’ I would dread Sunday nights.”
The feeling went away after he pursued his passion and found happiness in the world of tech.
You’re not getting paid enough
Your job’s okay, but it doesn’t pay.
Maybe that was acceptable when you were just starting out, but you want to be compensated now that you’ve accepted more responsibilities.
If you’re feeling blue over what you feel are unfair wages, it’s probably time to talk about getting a raise or move on to a company that will compensate you fairly.
You never see your friends and family
A bad work-life balance can lead to a sad, lonely life. If you’re constantly taking care of business and working over time, whether that means long hours in the workplace or even being glued to your inbox after you get home, you risk damaging your personal relationships.
You won’t be doing yourself any favors by sticking with such a workplace. In the end, all work and no play will just make you unhappy and unproductive.
“Workplaces that support employee well being and allow time for employee recovery are part of creating a sustainable workforce where employees don’t become burned-out and ineffective,” psychology professor Shawn M. Burn writes in Psychology Today.
You can’t focus
You sit down at your desk, ready to work. Hours later, you realize you’ve accomplished nothing. All you’ve done is check all your social media platforms, glanced at the clock, and made small talk with your desk neighbors.
Everyone gets distracted, but if you’re a generally competent person that can’t seem to focus, it’s possible that your job is just a bad fit.
What’s more, John Tierney wrote in the New York Times that researchers have found that a wandering mind can be a sign of unhappiness and dissatisfaction.
So if you’re constantly daydreaming at your desk, that’s a bad sign.
You complain about work — a lot
If you’re truly unhappy and unfulfilled with your job, you may start to spend a lot of time and energy explaining to friends, family, and anyone who will listen just how bad your job is at the moment.
And you can complain all you want — it won’t change a thing. In fact, it can help you get stuck in a rut.
“Complaining is a self-reinforcing behavior,” writes Travis Bradberry for Forbes. “By constantly talking — and therefore thinking — about how bad things are, you reaffirm your negative beliefs.”
You’re irritable
If you’re miserable at work, you might find yourself snapping at your coworkers simply for having their phone go off or for chewing too loudly.
Even worse, your new grouchy attitude might follow you home, straining relationships with friends and family members.
In order to combat this issue, it’s important to identify that work is the trigger.
“The best way to reduce irritability is to figure out what’s making you irritable — and then address it,” psychologist Guy Winch writes in Psychology Today.
You can find the original article here.
