Unhappy at work, but is work really to blame?

It is sometimes easy to blame work, a toxic workplace, or a horrible boss for our unhappiness at work, but it is necessary to look at the rest of our lives and see if any other area is the real trigger for feeling stressed or unfulfilled at work.

Of course, we spend 8-10 hours a day at work, and it can be stressful, busy or boring, but our personal lives can easily spill over into our work and it can be difficult to see what the root cause of the issue is. If you feel stressed, overworked, undervalued or unfulfilled, have a deeper look at these seven areas in your life and determine if they could be the underlying cause of your unhappiness:

Mental health

If you struggle with mental health disorders such as anxiety, depression, addictions, eating disorders, OCD, Bi-Polar disorder or any other, your headspace can be preoccupied with negative self-talk, resulting in negative behaviours. Mental health disorders are extremely hard to live with as your subconscious brain convinces yourself that you are not deserving and therefore continue a pattern of self-sabotage to keep you stuck. If you suffer from any mental health disorder, the best thing to do is seek professional help.

Physical health

Having any kind of physical health problem can put a lot of stress on your body, your mind and the loved ones around you. Whether you are battling an injury, a serious condition, weight issues, diseases or are finding recovery from surgery or giving birth particularly difficult, these can all have a huge impact on the work you are able to produce and your readiness to go into work every day feeling motivated. Feeling in pain, exhausted, dizzy, unfocused, or unable to physically move as you did before, can impact your work significantly.

Finances

Any form of financial stress on you or your family can make working very difficult as your mind can become pre-occupied with how you will find the money, loans or credit or calculating debts. Having money issues is very mentally draining and can increase your likelihood to be unable to give 100% to your job.

Lifestyle

If you are burning the candle at both ends and not sleeping enough, or consuming too much or too little of certain things, it can mean that you are going to work exhausted, not refreshed and not in a good frame of mind for productivity. It could result in you producing lower-quality work, not adhering to work protocols, or even receiving warnings for misconduct. Maintaining a balanced and healthy lifestyle is essential for being in the right frame of mind to work, so if you are feeling under the weather or unmotivated, look at your sleep patterns, caffeine intake, alcohol or tobacco habits, how much (or little) you exercise and your diet.

Relationships

A breakup, a loss, an argument, or loneliness can all result in you turning up for work highly stressed, and your work can suffer as a result. As much as these things are normal and are part of life, not communicating these issues with someone at work, can appear that you are switched off, struggling or unable to cope with your workload or tasks and can be the cause of work not getting done or you not being 100% focused.

Stress levels

When your body lives in a prolonged state of stress (fight or flight), your blood pressure remains elevated, your heart rate increases and you get physical symptoms such as sweaty palms, anxiety and panic attacks. You are more likely to suffer from depression and, since your nervous system is compromised, more likely to get illnesses and diseases. Stress is extremely dangerous, yet we often do not even recognize the signs. Sometimes we feel OK but realize that we have gastro issues, infertility, skin breakouts, allergies or other unrelated issues and never connect the dots.

Personal development

Many people blame work for their lack of fulfillment if they are not challenged, pushed or supported in their next steps, but the truth is that we are all responsible for how much we can learn, develop and grow. If you are adamant that you should be given opportunities at work, make them happen. Create a role for yourself, learn from a mentor, ask for tasks to be delegated to you, take on extra responsibilities without pay for the experience and find a team of like-minded people to help you achieve your goals. Outside of work, you can read books, take courses, do a post-Graduate degree, take on a secondment, learn a new hobby, collaborate with others in your field, listen to podcasts, join a team for a new sport or take lessons in something. There is a wealth of things out there to do, so if you are persistent in growth and self-development, stop blaming work for not investing in you and make it happen yourself.

So, is work really to blame for your unhappiness? Is the toxic boss the root cause of your issues, or does it lie in the lifestyle you are leading or other personal issues you have? Before we start to blame, we must always look inwards and see if there is anything we can do to empower ourselves and take back control of our lives when they feel out of control. And once you know where the problems starts from, you can seek the correct help, take action, change your mindset and make improvements in the areas that need work.