People talk about feeling stuck a lot. You have conversations with your friends about it in real life, or you see posts about it on social media. Feeling stuck is a more common feeling than a lot of people assume. And while you can feel stuck in different parts of your life, today we will talk about what to do when you feel stuck in your job.
5 Step Game Plan When You Feel Stuck in Your Job
1. Give yourself time to figure out what you are feeling
When you are starting to feel stuck, the most important part is figuring out why. Give yourself some time and question why you feel this way:
- Are your daily tasks not challenging you anymore?
- Do you not see how you will progress professionally?
- Does your work not align with your values?
- Have you outgrown your current job?
- Has the success of a friend or family member anything to do with it?
Get to the bottom of your feelings because only when you know why you feel like this, you can change it.
2. Try to change your perspective
Once you have figured out the reason for your feeling, go deeper. Try to change your perspective. Keep in mind that feeling “stuck” can be simply a mindset—albeit a stifling one, or just something you are feeling at this moment. Maybe your best friend got promoted recently, and now you feel stuck because you’ve been in the same position for some time. Ask yourself how you will feel about this situation in a week, 3 months, or in 1 year. Maybe you are generally happy with your job and you feel stuck because you want more responsibility.
3. Talk to your friends and people in the same field
The next step is finding a solution that works for you and makes you feel less stuck at this moment or permanently. Ask yourself what you can change to stop feeling this way? Do you need a new challenge at work, more responsibility, or a totally new work environment? Talk to your friends or people you trust who work in the same field. They can give you different perspectives on your current situation and help you figure out your possibilities. Talking things through can help more than you’d think. See what they have to say about other positions or their own companies to figure out where you want to go and who you want to be.
4. Take agency
To “unstuck” your work life, it’s important to take agency and try to change things. It might not feel this way, but there is ALWAYS something you can do. If you have figured out what changes you will need, talk to your boss and propose these changes. However, you do not need to make big changes immediately, because you can work your way out of this feeling little by little. Ask for different tasks or focus on the ones you really like, while you keep searching for new opportunities.
5. Consider changing your job, job title or further education
If the talk with your boss or employer is not as positive as you wish, it’s time to consider other options. You are the master of your own life. If there are no changes possible in your current job, look around and apply to different jobs or consider further education. The most important thing is that you do something, don’t let yourself go down the slippery slope of negative thinking and inactivity.
Yes, feeling stuck is a horrible feeling and a bad situation. In a perfect world, we might never be feeling like this, but that’s sadly just a fantasy. In the end, it’s important for you to challenge why you feel stuck and to figure out a way to change things. You are the boss of your life and the most important person in your story, so take charge and write it the way you want it to be told. Nobody else can change things for you.
If you have any issues or want to talk to us, reach out via shecareerblog@gmail.com. While you are here, make sure to check out our article about how to know that you’re stressed out and in need of a break or 5 ways to get recognition at work when no one cares.
Be right back,
Ally
