If you’re waking up on a workday wishing you could be anywhere else than where you’re headed for the next eight hours, it could be you’re on the brink of burnout.
While we all have times where work just doesn’t appeal, for the most part, we’re able to muster the requisite amount of enthusiasm to make our days enjoyable.
But if calling in sick, yet again, with the vaguest of excuses seems preferable to showing up to your current work situation, a career overhaul might be needed, according to workplace expert Michelle Gibbings.
Flagging motivation is a sign you could be hitting the wall with your current job and a change could be necessary (stock image)
Writing for Mamamia, Ms Gibbings noted behaviour is often a big indicator of the way we’re feeling toward the job we have.
She unpacks five early warning signs that signal it could be time for a change:
1. YOUR GET-UP-AND-GO IS ALL BUT GONE
Ms Gibbings, author of Step Up: How to Build Your Influence at Work, explained that shifting motivation levels can often result in a poor attitude that can affect results.
‘Your motivation is dropping and so you are doing only what you have to do. This ‘bare minimum’ approach is impacting your performance, the outcomes you deliver and ultimately your reputation,’ she said.
A bare minimum approach can damage your reputation and have long term consequences
2. YOU FEEL OUT OF SYNC WITH YOUR ORGANISATION’S VALUES
In careers coaching parlance, Ms Gibbings said this was more commonly recognised as a ‘values disconnect’.
‘Your values and those of the organisation are out of alignment such that you feel like you have to change who you are when you are at work,’ she said.
This can leave you feeling that you’re unable to voice your opinion, or worse, she warns, having to support ideas that aren’t in line with what you believe.
A cynical attitude can drain you of energy and enthusiasm and can put you on the back foot with your workmates
3. YOU FIND YOURSELF COMPLAINING MORE
While it’s not uncommon to occasionally vent to a colleague, complaining more than normal is a sure sign all is far from well.
Ms Gibbons noted a cynical attitude can drain you of energy and enthusiasm and can put you on the back foot with your workmates because you’re no longer contributing in a meaningful way.
‘You don’t trust your work colleagues and you no longer offer ideas on how to improve things at work. You only complain about them,’ she said.
4. STRESS LEAVES YOU STRUGGLING
If you’re increasingly struggling to cope with how you feel, you could be well on your way to workplace burnout.
‘The physical signs of stress are coming out in how you behave at home with your friends and family,’ said the careers coach.
‘You feel exhausted all the time and the thought of going to work makes you feel anxious or highly emotional.’
Engaged employees are constantly striving to stay abreast of changes in their industries (stock image)
5. YOU’VE LOST INTEREST IN LEARNING
‘To stay relevant in today’s world we all need to continue to grow and be challenged.’
While it can be difficult to maintain the motivation necessary to keep improving, engaged workers are constantly striving to stay abreast of changes in their industries, Ms Gibbings states.
‘If you’re stopped learning at work and there is no more room to grow or expand your horizons it may be time to step outside.’