There were times in my life where I have inevitably found myself questioning the work that I do. Also, I know that I’m not alone in this. Many people across locations, industries, and job roles have struggled to stay motivated in their workplaces. It has happened to people despite them having their dream jobs. I’ve interacted and discussed with some clients and work-driven professionals who, even after eventful vocations, have failed to feel joy at work again.
After hearing many such relatable stories about having lost the passion and joy people found from their work, I get left with a strange question – “I’ve wanted to do this for my entire life, then why don’t feel the joy in it?” I tell myself how I simply want to feel joy at my work again. There were several instances where I ended up having random conversations with myself. I used to ask myself, “I used to feel quite energized throughout the week and would plan things for the weekend. However, now all I do at weekends is either sleep or dread about my next week at work.” The situation made me feel like I have become a completely different person who wants to feel like before again.
Things Affecting the Joy at Work
It took me a while, but once I decided to find myself and rediscover joy at work again, I happened to come across some observation that inadvertently caused people to fall out of love and delight from their work in the first place. First, it was the Covid-19 pandemic that drastically impacted our lives for over a year and a half. The effects of it were both psychologically and physically draining. People struggled to exercise healthy mental well-being as mental illnesses such as anxiety and depression peaked at an all-time high in this period. Second, burnout was primarily caused by the new method of work (Remote Work) that gained traction during the peak pandemic. While remote working was a blessing at the time, it was new for most people and, therefore, wasn’t primed to deal with its side effects. As a result, it contributed towards squeezing the joy out of our work.
While the vaccination drive has brought back some normalcy in our lives, its effects are still dragging on with us. Therefore, it has left many of us with an uphill challenge to rediscover joy at work or continue to feel like a different and miserable person. And upon some deep thinking over days and countless talk with friends, family, and colleagues, I happened to have found some key focus points. The focus points can enable us to rediscover our joy at work again. Therefore, I was hoping you could continue reading to learn more about my discovery.
Things That Can Rediscover Joy at Work
Following are some of the key findings that help you rediscover your lost joy at work at the earliest.
Work on Your Strengths
It is evident that different have different strengths and our strengths act as a catalyst to cultivate joy in our life. More so, our strengths enable us to see through the day with satisfaction much more naturally than other things can. Therefore, you must understand and know about your strengths the most. Once you identify your strength, you can build your day-to-day life around it. For example, if strategic thinking is your strength, then perhaps you can think about your short term goals and long term career goals and schedule timing, and plan things to get there accordingly.
Always Look for Personal Growth
One of the reasons people fall out of joy from their work in the first place is the staleness of the profession. I mean, look at things in a way where you are working in a loop that is on repeat. You are bound to lose interest no matter how much you like your work. It happens mainly due to a lack of any incentive or a motivating factor. Here personal growth can work as a significant motivating factor. Once you set targets for your personal growth through your work, you will notice that you are more energized to work towards achieving it. Therefore, you must start seeking timely personal growth in your profession. Moreover, nothing can define success better than your personal growth achieved over time.
Talk to a Trusted Colleague or Friend
Since the lack of joy at work is mainly psychological and mental, it is critical that you talk about such feelings rather than harbor them inside and let them consume your peace of mind bit by bit. And perhaps the most affordable and effective way to deal with such negative thoughts is to discuss them with a trusted colleague and friend. A trusted colleague or a friend is like a blessing who are well aware of your life. Therefore, it becomes easier to share such feelings with them. Besides, you can always count on them to come up with a piece of sound advice that can help you rediscover joy at work. Apart from this, talking things out helps develop deeper bonds that are critical for your mental well-being in the long run.
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Shellye Archambeau is determined to help you with all possible strategies to climb the ladder of success. She values your feedback. Do mention them in the comment section below.