Seven Signs That Show It's Time To Leave Your Job

Many of us just hold on to jobs to the detriment of our mental, emotional and physical health...you just keep holding on to this job till you don't even know what you're holding on to any more.

You are hard working, you've given your best but you dread Mondays and have some how become demotivated.

Check out these seven signs to confirm if you should really quit this job:

1) The job doesn't pay your bills anymore. Hello! There's no need to start feeling overly modest... You got married and now have kids and you've got bills to pay. Face it; if a salary raise isn't coming then you need a better paying job or you'll be signing up for serious mental stress.

2) Your stress level has hit the roof! You feel burnt out like this job has taken everything from you and you have nothing more to give. It has affected your relationships and is beginning to tell on your health. Choose life! Let the job go. If there is no way to balance this job with your life the forget it.

3) Tons of unethical stuff take place in your company. Need I say more? What are you still doing there? Waiting for the cops or lawsuits?

4) Your company's corporate culture clashes with your personal core values; who you are, what you stand for, how you think. Look, two can't work together except they are in agreement. You can't flow with your job if you always choose to always "go the other way".

5) You and your boss are literally like "Tom and Jerry" or is it "Jerry and Tom"? Your both have "irreconcilable differences".

6) Bankruptcy is looming; most customers have left, lots of bad deals and financial loss...not a good sign.

7) You've simply lost your zeal. This job doesn't just interest you anymore. I can't stand being attended to by a Sales or Customer service rep who is obviously fed up with his job. Don' take your boredom out on your colleagues or customers, move on to bigger challenges.

Loose yourself! When you are content and happy you'll always find yourself spreading happiness you don't have to be where you should not be.

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Can Frequent Breaks Be the Cure For "Job Burnout"?

Picture this scenario: you arrive late for work then days because you hardly get enough sleep. Less sleep means a dull and drowsy wake and all you remember is dragging yourself to work.
Job burnout is what happens when job stress is unattended to.  Everything in you has simply had it when it comes to this job.

It's not just about the physical exhaustion but also the psychological and emotional exhaustion. So apart from dealing with heavy workloads and long hours of work the frustration of not being able to "get a grip” is also an issue. You just feel like a "tool” been used, no one gives you the opportunity to make meaningful contributions or suggestions, you just "do as you are told".

Before we go any further let's do a quick check on the common causes of job burnout. How do you know if your lights are totally off and need a break, new challenge or job?

Causes of Job Burnout

• Overwork
• Little or no control over your job
• Too many constraints on how to do your job
• Compulsory overtime
• Random wage deductions
• Frequent layoffs /job insecurity
• Inadequate breaks
• Long working hours
• Exclusion in decision making
• Dangerous or unpleasant working conditions

So what signs or symptoms should you look out for to know if you or anyone in your workplace is burnt out?

• Fatigue
• Highly irritable
• Frequent anxiety attacks
• Loss of appetite or overeating
• Weight gain
• Teeth clenching /grinding
• Drug/alcohol abuse
• Insomnia 
• Difficulty in concentrating
• Overly emotional
• Head aches
• Low sex drive
• Feelings of emptiness
• Absenteeism

These signs and symptoms are not to be overlooked as anyone manifesting majority of the above may need to see a Mental health professional (psychologist, psychotherapist).

It's important for managers to note that the best staff are mostly the ones that get burnt out and overwork is the main culprit in this case. Human beings can get "overheated "is just like any machine being overused. The "overwork" situation can also be that the worker is unable to "meet up” with the workload and becomes depressed that he's always "falling short ".

What can be done to nip job stress, and eventually burn out, in the bud?

Short breaks from work (vacation) can be beneficial especially in situations where the issue is about being overworked. But if there is an issue with the work situation or working conditions, it would have to be addressed; no amount of breaks would resolve that.

Sometimes taking on something more challenging (mentally) like a professional course will be the therapy.

As a manager, supervisor or business owner don't be too rigid to listen to your employees. There may be better or more flexible ways of carrying out certain tasks.  Give your workers the liberty to suggest methods they think they can incorporate to make their work less stressful. As long as it boosts productivity there's no harm in adopting new methods.

Motivational speaker, Mike Murdock,  has always said, "go where you are celebrated "is so don't be afraid to take a work if you feel you are being underutilized or not appreciated.

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Why this Job?

You are satisfied with your job when you achieve the fullest measure of contentment with what you do and everything about it. Do you love what you do? Do you love how you do what you do?

Job satisfaction leads to the elimination of tension and boredom in the workplace which will improve your efficiency in your organization.

How to Achieve and Maintain Job Satisfaction

1.     Ensure You are in The Right Job

What are your preferences? What are your interests? Are you an extrovert or introvert? Do you prefer dealing with people directly or dealing with things? Some Lawyers deal with people directly while others prefer developing legal documentations. They are both lawyers but with different interests and strengths.

If you love your profession but not your job, you may have to change your method and “adjust” your job description. You may even be a doctor; you love helping people, but the hospital environment is not just working for you. You may function better in a community or public health setting. It all lies within your preferences and strengths.

2. Ensure You are Consistently Improving Yourself

Probably when you got this job, it was the best fit ever. Everything just fell in place; your skills, interests and strengths…but now you feel bored and dull. What could have gone wrong? All you need is more “wood in your fire”.

To maintain your zeal you have to keep feeding yourself with information on what you’re passionate about. Study more about your career and venture into new areas. Take up new challenges and try new methods in your field. I don’t know of any top chef who doesn’t take up the challenge of coming up with new recipes.

You can’t keep doing the same things the same way, day in, day out, you’ll get bored! Try something new, do something extra. You’ll be better for it.

The brain has an instinctual urge for new experiences; learning helps your brain grow and thrive.

3.     Ensure You have Personal Retreats

The path of self discovery should be a deliberate road you choose to walk. You need to take time off to reflect; on yourself, your job and your life in general. Give yourself an appraisal! That will not happen on regular work weeks, so I’ll advise you do this during your leave. If you can take up to three breaks off work, every year, that would be great.

During this retreats you will come up with amazing ideas to improve yourself, relate with others and execute your job or business. You may even come up with a solution to that nagging issue in your office! During these times of self reflection, acknowledge also the little blessings in your life, including your workplace.

Having time to reflect helps you reason and analyze better without distractions. This job may actually be the right one for you!

In whatever job situation you find yourself you must realize that a high remuneration will never give you the contentment you so desire. Satisfaction is an inner desire that needs to be fed from inside. It comes from doing what you were born to do.

What were you born to do?

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