3 Ways to Boost Your Career When You’re Feeling Bored, Burned Out or Bitter

Jackie Brown, Founder, Shifting Success

We’ve all been there - frustrating workdays that leave us bored, burned out or bitter. In fact, studies like the one from The Workforce Institute show us that at any given time, about half of the workforce is feeling bored. Burnout? About 30% of the workforce is already there.

But what happens when these bad days keep stacking up? What if it’s more than a venting session with your spouse can fix? What if it’s a pattern of bad days? What if it’s affecting not just your work but also your personal life?

Boredom, burnout and bitterness are certainly signs that something is out of sorts at work, and some might blame the organization. For instance, a bored person might say the projects are stale. A bitter person might say team members are being disrespectful. A person with burnout might say there’s no support for the staff, and leadership just keeps piling on work.

Yet, the way to truly address this boredom, burnout and bitterness isn’t found in the organization but in ourselves.

Hard to believe? Let’s take a closer look to test this theory.

Boredom

People who are bored at work have run out of challenges. Their skill set has plateaued, and their projects are routine. They’ve probably been doing the same work, using the same skills, with the same people for quite a while. It’s easy to blame the environment: There’s no path to growth, and the credit union doesn’t care about the individual. But what if the bored person sought out new skills independently or found ways to explore new projects through other means, like volunteering?

Burnout

People who are feeling burned out have run out of energy. They feel exhausted mentally, emotionally, and maybe even physically. Again, it’s easy to blame the environment as increasing demands come from their boss, other departments and their team. But what if the burned-out person was able to be more intentional about their approach to work and career? Could they shift or re-establish priorities?

Bitterness

People who are bitter have run out of compassion. They feel disappointed in how others behave either toward them or a project. They tend to blame others in their environment as they think the other person lacks respect. Or perhaps leadership made promises but never followed through. But what if a bitter person made it a point to help others, to be of service, to shift the focus away from how others are acting toward them to how they are behaving toward others?

If this seems too good to be true, just some flaky woo-woo tips, consider this: Study after study illustrates how important taking responsibility for our own mindset is to our overall health and happiness. Science has also proven that helping others increases our well-being. Personal accountability is a beautiful thing. Altruism? Even better.

To make this even more specific and less woo-woo, let’s look at ways we can change our attitudes and behaviors.

Reconnect with ourselves

As we move through life, our daily responsibilities can send us on a detour from who we are and what we want. We get pushed and pulled in a million directions so that we’re not even sure what we want anymore; we just know we don’t want the current situation. It’s like weeds in a garden. You notice them a little bit one day, thinking you’ll pull them soon, then before you know it, they’ve taken over, and you can’t see the good stuff anymore. Making the time to pull those weeds will help uncover & rediscover your good stuff.

How to do that? Start making a list of your good stuff:

-       What skills & abilities are you good at AND enjoy using these days? What skills & abilities are you ready to let go? Any you would like to learn?

-       What values are shaping your decisions? Are they values you hold close, or values influenced by parents, spouse or society?

-       Which of your personality traits or strengths do you enjoy expressing?

If you’re having a hard time with any of these, spend time in solitude without any distractions. This can be as simple as going for a quick walk several times a week or taking a solo trip. It can be free-writing or journaling. It might be taking voice notes while driving but explore what’s making you tick.

The more we know ourselves, the more we can be our best selves. And when we are our best selves, we can do our best work.

Reconnect with our purpose

Just as our skills and abilities evolve, so does our purpose or what some might call our motivation. At the start of our career, we’re likely looking for and motivated by building security. Then we might want to be a part of a team, to feel like we belong. Once we have that, maybe making a name for ourselves becomes a motivator. Then, as we move through those phases, many of us start wondering what else is there. I’ve achieved all these levels of success. How can the work I do be more fulfilling and meaningful?

You may be at a phase where a flexible schedule is essential for family needs. Or maybe you’re now an empty nester with more time and energy. More invigorating challenges at work might be more of a motivator instead of flexibility.

What’s important to you now? Where do you want to be, or better yet, what type of person do you want to be in a few years?

Reconnecting with purpose will help stave off burnout. It’s easier for people to create boundaries to say ‘no’ to projects or requests when they have a clear direction. Yes, your boss might still make wild demands, but with a purpose in mind, you’ll be able to prioritize much better.

Reconnect with our community

The longest-running study on happiness, which Harvard has conducted, shows us the No. 1 key to happiness is having good social fitness. Our relationships give us connections and help us think and feel beyond our situation. The shared experiences created with other people enrich our lives. And if the introverts reading this are starting to cringe, this doesn’t mean we have to be around people all the time or go galivanting around to random social events. The number of relationships isn’t nearly as significant as having connections we can enjoy. So ‘community’ can be a small circle of trustworthy people, and it can also mean a neighborhood, church, nonprofit, book club or the people you eat lunch with at work. Having one friend at work can help people feel better at and about their work.

Need help to strengthen your social fitness? First, recognize that just about everyone feels awkward about being the one to reach out. Why not be the one to own the awkward? Take that burden off the other person’s shoulders and simply say, ‘Hi there. How’s your day going?’ Here are some other small but meaningful ways to connect:

-       Reach out to a current friend with a quick text. You don’t even have to type anything; just pick a meme, gif, or emoji, then send.

-       Volunteer at a local non-profit. There are so many important causes and organizations that would welcome any assistance. Think about what feels good to you. You may want to help for a few hours with something like sorting donations or really get into the heart of it and serve as a board member for a few years.

-       Check in on a niece or nephew. Maybe make it a regular thing. Or the same for an older generation. Your aunts and uncles would be thrilled to hear from you. OK, OK. Maybe some family members aren’t a good fit, but you likely have some who will be.

-       Remember that question about any new skills you’d like to pick up? Taking a class online or in person can bring you in touch with people with similar interests - a great path to finding a new connection.

Reconnecting in one of these areas (you, your purpose, your community) can help banish the boredom, burnout and bitterness, but if you did all three? You’d be boosting your career for sure.

It takes time and practice. Retraining your brain and attitude isn’t an overnight event. It can be frustrating at times. Look for ways to set yourself up for success. See what opportunities your credit union might have for professional and personal development.

A friend who’s also wanting to banish burnout can be a great accountability partner. Coaching is another helpful resource for growing your career and life. However you choose to move forward, just take that first step and do it today!

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