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How to Get Out of a Work Rut

May 15 2022 Posted by Zing Professional in Blog

If you have been in your role a while, you may be having trouble feeling motivated at work. Perhaps you lost the excitement and drive you had when you first started. The newness of adjusting to your work environment and reaching your goals likely is long gone.

This is a great time to change your perceptions of your job. The more you look for the things you enjoy about your work, the more engaged and productive you likely will be.

Follow these guidelines to make your way out of a work rut.

Change Your Perception of Success

Rather than believing you will be happy when you are successful, focus on how being happy now can increase your success level. Changing what you focus on impacts how you see things. This means you are likely to pursue activities that make you feel good about yourself.

The more confident you feel, the more likely you are to take on bigger challenges at work. This can lead to increasing job responsibilities and promotions. The farther you advance in your career, the greater your level of success.

Reframe Your Thinking

Replace your negative thoughts with positive ones. This may involve changing your circumstances, such as walking away from workplace gossip or conversations with coworkers that focus on negative topics.

Regular gravitation to positive thinking and circumstances impacts your thoughts and actions. This benefits your productivity and performance. It also improves your job satisfaction.

Consider Why You Feel Stuck

Think about what is causing you to feel stuck in a work rut. Include when you first began feeling things change and what may have caused the change.

Maybe your work culture is unsupportive. Perhaps your manager doesn’t acknowledge your contributions and results. Or, you could be bringing issues from your personal life into your professional life.

Determine whether you’re responding to physical or emotional depletion. For instance, your rut may be due to fatigue from taking on too many responsibilities at work. If so, you should take time for yourself to rest and recover. Get more sleep, eat healthier foods, and take time to recharge each day. Or, your rut may be due to anxiety or depression from the inability to accomplish all you intend to during the day. If so, consider processing your feelings with a close friend or a therapist.

Control Your Career Progression

Continue to move forward along your career path. You may want to think about how you can learn a new skill, take on additional job responsibilities, or cross-train in a different department.

When you decide what your goal is, you might participate in an online class, request stretch assignments, or ask to job shadow to reach your objectives. Your actions may result in more engaging work, a promotion, or a new position within the organization.

Is It Time to Find a New Job?

If finding a new job would help you get out of a work rut, include Zing Professional in your search. Contact us today.