By: Daneen Johnson

If the Sunday “scaries” and Monday “blues” are an all too familiar feeling, maybe it’s time to rethink your work. Feeling stuck or overwhelmed in a job can be frustrating, but it doesn’t have to be your story.

Here are a few points to consider when you feel stuck in your job.

1. Reflect & Sort It Out
Take time to reflect and sort out what is bothering you about your current job. Refection can help you explore your current mindset about your job, ideate future aspirations, and ultimately help you to maneuver through your next steps with more clarity. Reflection may not always come natural or easy to some, therefore you’re welcome to explore the following questions to jumpstart this exercise.

• What initially interested you in the job and the organization?
• Describe your current responsibilities, experiences and feelings towards your job and organization. Are there themes that come up often? What can be done to improve your responsibilities, experiences and feelings?
• What do you value in a workplace and career? Is your current role aligned or in conflict with those values?
• Has the organization’s mission or priorities changed, have you changed, or is it a little of both?

2. Revive Your Passion
It may be time to renew your passion for your work and your workplace. Consider volunteering yourself to lead a new project, or a committee. Getting involved may help you get connected with different colleagues and have a renewed love for your work. Is there a new skill that you can develop or an additional certification that you’ve delayed getting? If your organization offers professional development resources, now would be a good time to utilize them. If not, set up a meeting with your employer to discuss your career interest and how an investment in your professional development can be mutually beneficial.

3. New Role, New You
Consider a new role within your organization. It could be that you’ve mastered your work and you’re ready for a new challenge. Before making a leap outside of the organization, advocate for yourself. Ask for new responsibilities, or a promotion (whether lateral or vertical) within the organization. Now that you have your increased skillset (from point #2) you are more marketable and ready for this transition.

4. Move On
Ultimately, it may be time to consider moving on from the organization. Make an informed decision, develop your personal transition plan and be strategic about your next career move. You may have been miserable, but your employer may have enjoyed working with you and the value you added to the organizations. Leave as professionally as you can and enjoy the new career opportunity.