Analysis: If your workplace leaves you feeling anxious, ignored, exhausted or unfulfilled, it might just be the right time to say ‘bye bye’
By Catherine Kelly Mason, SETU
Let’s face it, we can all have a really bad day in work. But if you find yourself continually and persistently going through rough patches and struggling to remain committed and motivated then it might be time to look around and do a reconnaissance.
Since we devote so much of our precious time to our day job, it is vital to determine whether work-related fatigue stems from being in the wrong career, burnout due to a mismatched role, or caused by an unsuitable work environment. Here are some tell-tale signs that you might be in the wrong job
Negative impact on your health
Do you dread going to work? Working in a job that negatively affects your health is a major red flag. Research has consistently linked job dissatisfaction, excessive work pressures, and high task demands to various health issues such as sleep disturbances, headaches and chronic fatigue.
We need your consent to load this rte-player contentWe use rte-player to manage extra content that can set cookies on your device and collect data about your activity. Please review their details and accept them to load the content.Manage Preferences
From RTÉ Brainstorm, do you work with a psychopath? Here’s how to know
These disruptions can negatively affect both physical and mental health, leading to long-term consequences such as cognitive impairment, decreased overall well-being and coronary heart disease (CHD), which comprises of heart attacks and heart-related deaths. A comprehensive study identified a link between occupational stress and poor heart health outcomes. The study found that employees in highly demanding jobs with limited control over work tasks had a 23% higher chance of developing CHD compared to those with less stressful jobs.
Another study found that employees who experienced job pressures and stress had a 27% higher risk of developing clinically diagnosed depression compared to those without job strain. In both studies, the risks remained the same regardless of a worker’s gender, age or social background.
Work can make or break you – research highlights that working in an environment similar to a pressure cooker can blow your chances of stabilising your physical and mental wellbeing. Issues such as job strain, limited autonomy, a lack of social support, effort-reward disparities, and job insecurity are significant predictors of common mental disorders and physical health conditions.
We need your consent to load this rte-player contentWe use rte-player to manage extra content that can set cookies on your device and collect data about your activity. Please review their details and accept them to load the content.Manage Preferences
From RTÉ Brainstorm, how coffee badging became a new workplace trend
Always thinking about quitting? You’re not alone
Are you consistently fantasising about quitting work? Regular and recurrent thoughts about quitting your job may indicate entrenched dissatisfaction and fundamental unhappiness. Poor pay, zero growth and feeling unappreciated fuel dissatisfaction, with burnout pushing employees to the edge. Research proves it: when work takes more than it gives, when it’s all swings and no roundabouts and when the downs far outweigh the ups, it’s only a matter of time before employee’s wave ‘bye, bye’.
When work feels like a bad fit, it probably is
In today’s ever changing work environment, employees are increasingly appraising whether their personal values align with those of their organisation. Studies highlight that when there is a disparity, known as a person-organisation (P-O) misalignment, employees feel disconnected from their company’s core values. As a result, they experience reduced motivation and engagement leading to poorer productivity levels. If you feel are a square peg trying to fit into a round hole in your workplace, forcing it in won’t make it fit and it may be time to consider a better match.
When work becomes the enemy
A toxic work culture, characterised by persistent negativity, bullying, and poor leadership practices, can have significant effects on employee well-being and organisational performance. Research found that this is a pervasive issue that exists across various sectors. A toxic work culture doesn’t just drain optimism and morale, but triggers stress and stifles productivity. When negativity becomes the norm and the workplace becomes a daily battleground, this could be the push you need to start looking for a way out.
We need your consent to load this rte-player contentWe use rte-player to manage extra content that can set cookies on your device and collect data about your activity. Please review their details and accept them to load the content.Manage Preferences
From RTÉ Brainstorm, do you work in a toxic workplace? Here’s what you can do about it
Feeling undervalued and underappreciated
In today’s highly pressured workplaces, many employees grapple with the emotional impact of feeling undervalued, underrated and underappreciated. Do you feel invisible at work? Is your voice silenced, ignored or unheeded?
If you answered yes to any of these questions, this may not only affect your morale, but a lack of recognition can result in decreased job satisfaction and motivation. Moreover, feeling underappreciated can erode trust in leadership at every level within an organisation and cultivate a culture of resentment and apathy.
Is it time for a change?
If your workplace is leaving you feeling anxious, ignored, exhausted and unfulfilled, and if you are constantly questioning your worth within the organisation, it might just be the right time to consider moving on. Feeling underappreciated, trapped in a toxic culture, constantly misaligned with the organisation’s values aren’t just rough patches to smooth over, but a wake-up call.
But not every bad day means you need to quit and it’s important to assess whether the issues are temporary or deeply rooted. Remember leaving a job without a backup plan can turn career anxiety into a financial disaster. It is always important to have your next move sorted before you hand in that letter of resignation, because a bold exit – or revenge quitting – won’t pay the bills!
Follow RTÉ Brainstorm on WhatsApp and Instagram for more stories and updates
Dr Catherine Kelly Mason is a lecturer in the Department of Nursing and Healthcare at South East Technological University (SETU), Waterford
The views expressed here are those of the author and do not represent or reflect the views of RTÉ
