Fallen out of love with your job? Here’s how to relight the fire.

They say if you do what you love, you’ll never have to work a day in your life. However, not all of us are fortunate enough to do our childhood dreams for a living. Some of us must settle for something a little less exciting.

Most jobs are thrilling at the beginning, and you get those first day nerves; however, for many people, the time will come when you find yourself sleepwalking through the day.

So, how can you reignite that spark if it’s gone?  Sometimes it’s not about changing your job but instead changing your perspective, and making a genuine attempt to make improvements where you are. It’s not always possible to love your job, but you can love different aspects of it, and that is where you can find true job satisfaction. Small changes can significantly impact helping you change the way you view your job.

Follow our five tips to fall back in love with your job again.

You might just be bored.

If you’ve been working in the same job for a long time and doing the same thing every day for years, you might just be a little bored. It’s time to switch it up slightly. Volunteer to take on new responsibilities or take on further studying. Try and set new targets. A refocus of priorities and direction could do you a world of good. Whatever it is you decide to do, make sure it’s something stimulating, and if you’re not excited by it, it’s not going to make your job any better.

Be more positive, less negative.

It’s time to remove yourself from the complainer’s club. Having a negative attitude and sharing negative thoughts will only breed negative energy, and all these negatives will not make a positive. Instead, tell the other members of the club that you are changing your ways and if you must talk about work, make sure it’s only to speak positively. Try writing down three things you enjoy doing in your job every day, and instead of being negative focus on this list and see if your perspective starts to change.

Make use of your benefits.

Do you know what benefits your company offers, and are you taking full advantage of them? Your compensation is more than just salary, and you may be missing out on benefits that could help solve what’s making you unhappy. Company benefits are there to make employees feel rewarded and appreciated for their work, so if you are not using them, then it’s more fool you.

Make meaningful connections 

It’s not just seeing the tasks on your to-do list get crossed off that gives you job satisfaction. Its connections with people that give you fulfilment, which also boosts your physical and mental health and your immune system.

Loving your job often comes from feeling truly known in your place of work. It’s more than just getting on with the people you work with. It’s about them seeing your strengths and working together. To build this connection, you need to get to know those you work with and while you may know some incredibly well, there are others that you know practically nothing about! Try arranging a lunch date with someone you don’t know from a different department. Ask them meaningful questions and genuinely listen to their answers. It’s said that even having just one friendship in the workplace can strengthen your connection with the company, so start making those connections.

Reset

If you started out loving your job and suddenly don’t like it anymore, you need to work out what happened. Take time to reflect on your current position. Are there any incidents that have had a negative impact on your attitude? Where are you with your professional goals? When you have identified the parts of your job that are causing you grief, it’s easier to develop an action plan to tackle it. If there are things that irritate you in your job or goals that you are looking to achieve, then arrange a time to speak to your boss to discuss these. By doing this, you could increase your options, meaning you don’t just have to leave.

However, if you feel like you’ve tried everything and nothing is improving the situation, then it might be time to start looking elsewhere. While it may seem daunting to move on, loving your job connects directly to feeling like you can fully be yourself and impacts every aspect of our lives. If you feel like moving on is the only option for you, then reach out to one of our consultants today to get support with the next steps in your career journey.