Career

Every week you go to work. You go to meetings, you converse with your co-workers, and you do your job… You do all of this every week just to have peace on the weekends, but that only lasts for two days, and then you’re right back to going to work. It’s a bit monotonous but hey, it gets the bills paid, right?

Sure, it pays the bills but are you happy? If you’re like most Americans, you’re probably not. Forbes reported a study by Gallup that revealed that almost 70% of employees are completely disengaged at work. The real question that needs to be answered is why are so many employees disengaged at work? Some people are disengaged because there are no growth opportunities so the employees figure, why should they work hard only to stay in their same position?

Others are disengaged because their focus has already shifted from completing their current work responsibilities to finding another job. When disengagement happens from trying to find another job, that’s when it’s obviously time for another job. But sometimes the solution of finding another job isn’t so clear… sometimes people just need a vacation.

So how can you tell when you need another job versus needing a vacation? Well, there are certain signs and even behaviors you’ll display that are huge red flags that you need a new job or that you may even need to pursue entrepreneurship.

Whichever pathway you choose, whether it’s another job or entrepreneurship, the signs will be right in front of you. It will be up to you to recognize them. Take a look at some of the biggest signs that let you know that you need a change in career.

Sign 1: You Don’t Have a Healthy Work-Life Balance

In life, you have to work to keep food on the table but you also need to have a life outside of work that balances out the stressors of work. Spending time with family, going on hikes, going dancing with friends… all of those things offset and balance the stressors of your work life.

How many times have you left work and went home but you’re still doing “work stuff?” More often than you should, probably. Something as little as responding to a work email from your phone is cutting into your work-life balance and can cause serious damage in your personal life.

Finding and maintaining a healthy work-life balance is something you’ll need to do in any profession, whether you find another job or start your own business. But it’s definitely one of life’s lessons to learn from as an entrepreneur.

Being an entrepreneur, you’re going to pour yourself into your business, all in the name of being successful. You’re going to have late nights and early mornings, you’re going to skip a few meals to get something done, and you’re going to miss out on family moments all because you had a deadline to meet for a client… Don’t do that. Leave work at work, and if you can’t, it’s time for a career change.

Sign 2: You Have Unhealthy Coping Mechanisms

Maybe work has gotten so stressful that you find yourself reaching deep into your bag for that pack of cigarettes you haven’t touched in weeks. Maybe you find yourself stopping at the liquor store more often after work for a couple of bottles of wine to calm your nerves after a rough day… Everyone has their “vices” so to say, but if your job is causing you to heavily rely on those vices, it’s time to look for another job.

Sign 3: You’re Not Sleeping Good

Just like breakfast is the “most important meal of the day,” sleeping is also an important part of your day. Just think about it… You spend 30 minutes to an hour commuting to work, spend 8 to 10 hours working, and then another 30 to 60 minutes commuting home… that’s around 12 hours of a 24 hour day… what about dinner, working out, walking the dog, and family time?

Once you’ve spent your time doing all of that, you only have about five or six hours to dedicate to sleep… then what? You wake up to do it all over again, but in a sleep-deprived state. This is not a healthy or sustainable way of life.

The Sleep Foundation states that adults between the ages of 26 and 64 can need anywhere from 7 to 9 hours of sleep to rest their bodies for the day. If your job is preventing you from getting this, it’s a life you can’t continue to live and a new job is probably the best solution.

Work Doing What You Love

If you’re tired of working a 9 to 5 and just want the freedom to do what you love, the only thing to do is to start your own business and become an entrepreneur. Sure, you may need to hire employees and get professional liability insurance but the peace of mind you’ll get from working, doing what you love is going to be worth every bit of all the time, money, and effort you’ve invested.

If you see any of these signs in yourself, start taking the necessary steps to finding another job or pursuing entrepreneurship… it’s the only way you’ll find true happiness with work.