Doing what you love isn't always a straightforward path. When your personality and interests evolve, a career that was once meaningful can start feeling like a daily dose of misery. At the same time, happiness begins with a positive mentality. A changing work ethic may be a sign that you no longer devote enough energy to self-improvement. If you're stuck in a rut, answer these questions to figure out why you're unhappy at work.
1. Do You Choose Happiness?
Happiness is a choice to feel uplifted by good things in your life, and focusing on negative details prevents you from gaining joy and strength from daily triumphs. Do you obsess over everything you don't have, or do you feel grateful that you can support your family? Do you resent others for getting promotions, or do you feel inspired by working alongside talented colleagues?
People naturally spend less time fixating on positive experiences, making it harder to code cheerful emotions into memory, says psychologist Rick Hanson, founder of Wellspring Institute for Neuroscience and Contemplative Wisdom. Training yourself to bask in positive moments can permanently improve your mindset. And by extension, embracing happiness can restore your positive work ethic at your current job or guide you to a more fulfilling career path.
2. Do You Focus on Strengths?
Leveraging your strengths is the key to maintaining a productive and optimistic work ethic. While you can't pick and choose everything you do at work, using your talents to get better and better results can boost your confidence and motivation. On the other hand, focusing on weaknesses forces you to fight against your personality, which wastes valuable energy while increasing your feelings of frustration and self-doubt.
3. Do You Lack Balance?
Losing sight of your priorities can make you unhappy at work, especially if you feel pressured to choose professional commitments over personal ones. Finding time for relaxation, hobbies and family is a challenge when you can't get out of work mode. Ask yourself whether the pressure is really external or self-imposed. In many cases, you can make stress-reducing changes in your routine, try to work out a flexible arrangement or pursue a different job in the same company.
4. Do You Challenge Yourself?
Sometimes, your attitude is a dead end, not your job. Growth is a proactive endeavor, so try asking for more responsibilities or shadowing a superior to keep learning. Many managers pay attention to work ethic and devote more time to teaching employees who show initiative. Even if you decide to leave a stagnant environment, learn all you can first to beef up your skills for your next job.
5. Do You Have Positive Work Relationships?
Colleagues can have a significant impact on your outlook and work ethic. Being surrounded by people you respect and look up to increases your loyalty, motivating you to create value for your team. Make the effort to learn about your co-workers and build supportive relationships, but consider leaving behind a toxic culture if you can't find anyone who inspires you.
Contentment is a key ingredient of success, and it can be counterproductive to stay in the wrong job. However, you shape your own happiness and work ethic, so look for the source of your dissatisfaction before abandoning good opportunities.
Photo courtesy of shirophoto at FreeDigitalPhotos.net
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