Feeling frustrated and stuck at work? Do you say to yourself, I don’t want to work anymore?
You’re not alone.
The essential first step to solving your problem is to find out why you do not want to go back to work.
That’s why in this article, you will learn about the 7 reasons why you may feel frustrated at work, followed by 11 tips to regain joy.
So let’s dive in!
Is it normal that you don’t want to work?
Yes, it is normal to feel that way.
Most people will feel stuck and frustrated about their job at some point in their careers. And more often than not, it will happen at various points in your life.
We will get into the reasons why in a moment.
But first, let’s celebrate something.
That’s right, the fact that you are tuning in with your feelings and seeking a solution is worth celebrating.
Why?
Because it is hard to seek to make a change. It’s so much easier (and more harmful) to numb your emotions and stick to what you know.
Acknowledging that something needs to change is the essential first step. You’re ready to make a positive change in your life.
7 Reasons why people don’t want to work
Work is important because it gives you a way to contribute and provide value to others.
Doing so enriches your life with meaning and purpose. It also makes you feel part of a community and gives you something to do during the day.
When you no longer want to work, it is essential to find the root cause for your feelings. That way, you solve the real issue.
Here is a list of reasons why people don’t want to work:
- Not the right career match – you no longer enjoy the work itself. For example, your job description may have changed and no longer match your interest or strength.
- Inaccurate expectations – the career does not match your expectations.
- Lack of challenge – when a job lacks any form of challenge, you may lose engagement and become bored.
- Too challenging – when a job becomes too difficult, you may experience overwhelm or even burnout.
- The environment – when you have a toxic environment or culture at work, you may not want to go back to work anymore, even if you like the job itself.
- Fear of change – you are trapped in a job you dislike but also desperately want to keep because it provides a steady income, a lucrative income, or social status.
- Mental health problems – issues outside of work, like family problems, could reduce the overall quality of life and impact your joy at work.
Knowing which problems affect you most helps you to pinpoint the change you need to make.
What to do if you don’t want to work anymore?
Once you figure out why you don’t want to work anymore, you are better able to address the issue, which will increase the effectiveness of the following tips.
#1: Audit why you feel this way
You have already taken the important first step by acknowledging the emotions you experience.
The second step is to explore these emotions further, which the seven reasons we just explored can help with. You may have already done that, but if not, why should you?
Why is this tip important?
To find the right solution to solve your problem, you need to understand the root cause. Only when you resolve the root issue will you regain joy in your work.
So why do you say to yourself, I don’t want to work anymore?
Take some time in answering that question for yourself.
#2: Image what you ideal life looks like
Say you already know that your job is the root issue. In that case, the follow-up question becomes: what do you want to do instead?
To avoid bouncing from one job to the next, it’s important that you figure out what it is that you want.
This is a big topic, which we already covered in this article: what to do when you don’t know what to do?
The punchline?
Create a general plan for what you want to do next – even if that plan is not perfect.
You can change and try out different careers for the next 10 years and still be okay. But it is essential to keep experimenting if you are still figuring out what you would like to do most.
#3: Discover yourself
Self-discovery and self-awareness are essential yet often overlooked elements for success and happiness.
The problem in work is that people tend to choose their careers based on external factors, like wealth and social status. And they ignore more important factors, like purpose and happiness.
The key to a good life is understanding who you are and what makes you tick. And then choose a career that suits you best.
Not only will this make you feel successful, but you also increase your chances of achieving success.
So ask yourself this:
Becoming self-aware is an ongoing quest that never ends. That’s why it’s helpful to make self-reflection a regular practice.
#4: Find out what interests you most
Finding a career that aligns with your strengths and personality is great but it also needs to interest you.
What do you feel passionate about?
When you combine your strengths with your passion, you will find it easier to stay persistent throughout challenges.
Think about it from this perspective:
What big problem would you like to solve?
All work is related to solving problems and providing value. And the more interesting and important an issue is to you, the more meaning and joy you get from solving it.
#5: Develop a plan
There are a couple of benefits of making a plan for your life:
- It forces you to think about what you want;
- And it clarifies a direction for where you want to go.
I hear you say, I don’t know what I want.
But even if you have no idea, you should still create a plan.
The problem is that people want the perfect plan. But an imperfect one is better than having none at all.
Here is why:
A plan is the result of conscious thought followed by a decision. It focuses your attention in a specified direction.
Even if that direction turns out to not be the right one – say that you try out a new career that also sucks – you still gain experience and insights in the process.
The experience then allows you to make a better plan.
#5: Build good habits
The things you do every day are the most important things you do in your life. Your habits determine your future.
What do your current habits look like?
And do these support your plan and vision?
For example, say you stock shelves at a supermarket but would like to build websites for people and companies.
Then what are you doing to make that happen?
Do you ponder that you don’t have the right degree and will never achieve your dreams? Or do you spend 30 minutes every day learning something about web development?
Accessibility to information is no longer a problem.
The problem is that we fail to do the things that we know we need to do to get the results we desire.
The solution?
Break up your desires into small chunks. What is the smallest step you can take to get only an inch closer to your goals?
Start there.
And then, keep repeating that process every day.
#6: Take a break
Roughly 83% of Americans contribute work as the critical factor for their stress. And 40% of people report feeling stressed out on a typical workday.
Some serious numbers.
Do you feel stressed out on a typical day at work too?
While not all stress is bad, too much of it can build up over time and if not released, becomes a huge burden on your life.
That’s why weekends and holidays exist.
While people like Elon Musk are wired to work around the clock, you are probably not like that. And that’s okay.
Once again, it comes back to self-awareness.
You really need to listen to yourself and figure out what works for you, whether that means working fewer days or actually taking one or two holidays each year to rest.
Stop looking at what other people do, and instead, tune in with who you are.
#7: Communicate
Too much stress at work can lead to issues like burnout. On the flipside, no stress may cause a loss of motivation and lead to boredom.
What to do about these issues?
You must communicate how you feel to your boss.
Because if you don’t do that, the chances are that life will just drag forward the way it does. Communication is key.
If you are bored, find ways to make time go faster. Ask for a new challenge. And if your workplace cannot provide that to you, you may want to consider looking around for a place that can.
And if you’re stressed out, communicate this to your boss so you can work out a solution together. That may include reducing the workload or the type of work you do.
What to do if it doesn’t lead to anything?
Then it’s probably time to look around for new opportunities.
#8: Live more frugally
If you seek external ways to feel good, like increasing wealth and status, that may be your biggest blocker to happiness.
Why?
Because you may get stuck in an endless cycle of needing more and also, fearing to lose what you have got. It’s a mentality that keeps you from changing your ‘safe’ career for something that would actually make you happy.
The solution?
Audit your money situation. How could you cut down on the expenses a little bit – just for now.
Spending less money gives you options:
- You either save more, which you can invest in yourself and/or companies. Or if you save enough, this may be the buffer you need to make a career change.
- Or you can reduce work hours which gives you more time to learn a new skill or build out a side hustle you feel passionate about.
The key point?
No matter how much external success you have, if you don’t feel successful, life still sucks.
#9: Talk with someone
When you say to yourself I don’t want to work anymore, chances are that you feel stuck and frustrated too.
And that can cloud your mind and judgment.
In those cases, the best approach to regain clarity and snap outside your bubble is to talk to someone you trust.
This person could be your partner or a friend. But if you don’t feel comfortable with that, you can also talk to psychologists or career specialists.
Even if you assume that their advice or opinion won’t be helpful to you in any way, an outside perspective may still provide value.
#10: Start a side-hustle
You have an incredible amount of options to build a side-hustle around your passion. And doing so provides many benefits:
- Developing new skills;
- Working on your terms;
- Trying out various ideas you have;
- Doing work you feel passionate about;
- And it may result in unexpected opportunities.
How is a side-hustle going to help you find joy?
For starters, a side-hustle can give you meaning that you miss in your career. And while your job gives you financial stability, you’re free to shape your side-hustle in any way you like.
You can go full-time at some point if you desire.
But you can also keep it on the side to fill in some of the gaps that you may experience at work.
#11: Switch careers
Switching careers in the last tip in this list for a reason:
As you learned throughout this article, the career itself may not be the root problem. And changing it is challenging.
Worse yet, if you change your career and still experience the same problems, you will feel even more frustrated.
But say you have explored the other tips and your job itself is the problem.
Then it’s time to consider a different career.
But what is the best career option for you?
We covered that topic in detail in the article: what should I do for a living?
Closing thoughts
Different causes can result in pondering the phrase: I don’t want to work anymore.
And there isn’t one perfect solution that works for everyone.
After reading this article, I hope that you have a better idea of the root cause of your issue. And that these tips help you to make a small step towards making change.
Don’t forget that life is a process.
Finding purpose and joy in your work is challenging. Mainly because you, your interests, work, and life in general change all the time.
And if you need a little bit more help, I recommend reading some of the best books on passion and how you can regain it in your career. In addition, take one of the best strengths assessments and learn how to leverage them into your work and life.
So if you want more help on your quest to create a better life, then make sure to sign up for the newsletter to help you stay consistent on your journey.