Finally surrendering to that fifth alarm as you pull yourself out of your cozy blankets on that chilly Monday morning can definitely have you racking your brain for signs to quit your job. Maybe you're tired, bored, or you're constantly thinking the grass is greener. Maybe this job didn't pan out exactly how you thought it would. First things first, it's important to keep in mind that work is called work for a reason. It's not really supposed to be easy. And you may not necessarily enjoy it all the time.
Like any relationship, your career starts off full of promise and exciting opportunities and kicks into that inspiring honeymoon phase. Fast-forward a bit and the picture might look different. You're now more well acquainted and familiar, you've established a routine, and all of those idealistic fantasies you had in the beginning seem to have faded. Maybe you're now thinking this wasn't for you after all. While it's important to constantly check in with yourself and make sure you're happy, it's equally important to take a step back and look at the big picture. It's OK if you're not totally bouncing off the walls and leaping out of bed every morning to start your work day. But just because you may have hit a little rough patch or fallen into a rut doesn't mean it's time to jump ship. Before you start fiddling with putting in your two weeks' notice, make sure it's for the right reasons, and not the following eight reasons to quit your job.
1. You're Bored
Yes, work should be fun. It should be stimulating and challenging. You should ultimately be enjoying what you're doing. But sometimes you may hit a plateau. As long as not absolutely every second of your work is tediously draining, hang in there! Don't give up until you've explored every opportunity and room for growth. You may just not be challenged enough, so ask for more work or look into getting a promotion. This is the perfect sign to take hold of those chances and move forward.
2. You Feel Overworked
There's a point in almost every career in which the workload only seems to be piling on and you get so busy you forget what day of the week it is. It happens. But if you feel like you're constantly spread super thin and don't have the bandwidth to get any efficient work done while also remaining a sane human being, speak up! As Katie Douthwaite Wolf wrote for The Muse, unless you’ve actually talked to your boss about these things, you have no idea whether or not you may be able to change your situation. Hard work most certainly pays off, but so does communicating when things seem a little overwhelming to avoid any rash decisions you could regret later.
3. Your Friends' Jobs Look More Fun
The grass is always greener, right? Eh. Leaving something you like because someone you know seems to be having the time of their lives somewhere else is definitely a counterproductive reason that overlooks so many things. You may have longingly looked at Jeremy's super fun Instagrams of company beers and Bring-Your-Dog-To-Work-Day, scrolled through Taylor's Facebook photos with all those fashion models, and couldn't help but notice Erin's new geofilter on Snapchat because she's traveling on another company retreat. The social media envy is real. In almost all situations, jealousy completely mars our ability to recognize the value of what we already have. The important thing is that you actually like what you're doing. You don't want to destroy a great opportunity you've found yourself just because you don't feel like you're part of the cool kids' club of careers.
4. Co-Worker Drama
The interweaving of personal and professional relationships is always tricky. Especially since you spend the majority of your time with these people, looking for that sweet escape seems to be a pretty tempting solution. But don't let some silly office politics or even personal pettiness push you away from a job you enjoy. Why should you let whatever drama there is take that away from you? There are always ways to handle conflicts with your co-workers. Or if it's totally out of control, talk to your boss or your HR department about it and solve the issue in a cool, calm, and collected adult-like fashion. At least try out all possibilities that you can to solve the problem before giving up entirely.
5. You Don't Get Along With Your Boss
You won't always like who you work for. And it sucks because this is a person to respect, accept criticism from, and on whom your paycheck pretty much depends. But as long as you know you're doing work that you enjoy and you're good at it, to reiterate the bulk of these tips so far, don't quit until you've tried doing something about it.
Of course, it's important that your boss does recognize the value of what you do and that he or she respects you as an employee. As Mike Phipps, co-founder of the consultancy Politics at Work told The Telegraph's Rhymer Rigby, if the boss is very detail-orientated and you’re a big picture person, try working on your awareness and attitude. Or, try focusing on your employer's positives rather than the negatives. For example, as Rigby suggested, rather than dwelling on their being an annoying perfectionist, focus on their great networking ability and try learning from them.
6. The Pay Is Better Somewhere Else
As Jayne Mattson, Senior Vice President at Keystone Associates told CBS News' MoneyWatch, leaving a company for more money might bring some short-term happiness and motivation, but may also bring in some negative factors that will only load on the unnecessary stress. Your boss may be a jerk, you may get longer hours, the commute may be twice as long, or you may not even truly like the job beneath the blinding, glittery temptation of that bigger paycheck. So before you make that decision, make sure it's for a job you actually like and won't be totally drained from.
7. Friend And Family Pressure
For whatever reason, your friends and family may not be stoked about what you do. Maybe your mom thinks you're working too hard, or your friends think it's lame that you have to work on a Sunday and skip out on bottomless boozy brunches. But again — this is your career and your life. You may care about these people in your life and value their opinions for sure, but never let what they think constitute what you do, especially if it's something you love.
8. Your Relationship
And speaking of people in your life, there may come a time when your SO might feel abandoned or you may feel like you're not dedicating enough time to the relationship. But if you're currently at the prime of your career and you're happy with what you're doing, don't throw that all away! But also, of course don't toss away what may be the love of your life at the expense of ambition. There is always a solution and a way to find that work-life balance. Talk things out and make sure to recognize where you both stand and see what you can both do to compromise.
If it means temporarily taking a little off your work plate to focus more on the relationship, definitely do that. But don't take it all off, because you still want to eat, right?
Images: Giphy (8); Pexels
