Remember your first day at your current job? You probably felt excited and couldn't wait to explore all that the new job had to offer.
Fast-forward a few weeks, months, or even years, and you no longer feel that thrill. You feel like you're struggling to finish your tasks, which seems to worsen each day.
The truth is, you're not the only one.
Many people at work no longer feel motivated and have resorted to "quiet quitting" or leaving entirely, even without another job lined up. According to a recent Gallup's State of the Global Workplace report, 19% of the workforce feels miserable in their current jobs.
Being stuck in a job can leave you feeling lost, which could translate to stress and burnout. But let's face it: quitting is not always an option. And believe it or not, a lack of fulfillment and uncertainty may be good. It may mean you are ready to explore new options that can take you to the next level!
But before you can act, you must ask the big question: Why are you feeling bored or stuck?
Let's explore why we may feel stagnant, trapped in the daily grind, and unfulfilled at work and discover practical, empowering strategies for rejuvenating our careers and achieving professional fulfillment.
It's time to get out of that rut and back to living your best life.
6 Reasons Why You May Feel Stuck at Work and What to Do About It
Feeling stuck occurs when you're unhappy at your job but feel like you can't leave. Understanding the causes ensures that the feelings don't take over your life but instead ignite your need to find solutions that will move you forward.
Sometimes, it's hard to distinguish between being stuck in a job and just feeling stuck. Being stuck in a job or career often means external barriers prevent you from moving forward—think things like a lack of upward mobility within your company or being in a niche field where job openings are rare.
On the other hand, feeling stuck is more about your internal landscape. It's a mindset, a frustrating sense of stagnation that can creep in even when opportunities are around you. You might be dealing with monotonous daily tasks or feel undervalued and unseen, which breeds discontent and disconnection from your work.
If you're nodding along, feeling that pinch of recognition, you're not alone.
The good news is that while external constraints require circumstantial changes, shifting your internal feeling of being stuck is within your control and can improve your work life.
Let's look at common reasons most people can feel bored or stuck at work—and what you can do about it.
1. Your Career Does Not Match Your Personality
Millions of people are stuck in jobs that don't suit their personalities or interests. Sadly, this mismatch often occurs from the very beginning.
We must make life-changing decisions like which career to pursue or which college to attend at a tender age under the presumption that we know who we are and what we want. However, very few young people fully know their interests or dominant personality and their influence on their career path.
So, you settle down in a particular profession, and after working for a while, misery and burnout catch up with you. In the end, you feel stuck with no way out. Matching your personality and interests with your job allows you to enjoy your work. It offers career clarity well into the future.
What to Do About It
Take inventory of your personality traits. Personality and career assessments can help you gain insights into your values, motivations, and aptitudes, as well as the careers that perfectly match your personality.
Consider a career change. BrainManager conducted a survey and found that 82.84% of people have changed careers at some point in their working lives. So, changing careers to one that leverages your interests could be a way out of boredom.
Try out a new career for size. Volunteer or intern in your ideal career field to get a feel for it and analyze whether it truly matches your interests.
2. You Need to Learn New Skills
If you feel like you're just going through the motions at work, each day blending into the next with nothing new to break the monotony, it could be a sign that you're in a skill rut. The rapid pace of change in most industries means that the skills that got you your job might not be the ones that keep it interesting.
Learning new skills isn't just about padding your resume; it's about reinvigorating your professional life.
When you step outside of your comfort zone and begin to tackle new challenges, you're making yourself more valuable to your company and giving yourself something exciting and meaningful to focus on. This continuous learning process can be the breath of fresh air your daily grind desperately needs.
Many feel like they hit a plateau not because of the repetitive nature of their tasks but rather because they feel they are not progressing. Without the stimulation of new challenges, it's easy to feel disconnected from your work and unsure of your career direction.
Learning new skills can reconnect you to your job by helping you see it through a new lens. Whether it's digital marketing, project management, or learning a new software tool, each new skill you acquire adds to your toolkit and broadens your perspective. This can help transform a stale routine into an exciting opportunity for growth and innovation.
What to Do About It
Set learning goals. Identify specific skills that align with your career aspirations or personal interests and set achievable goals for mastering them. Whether taking an online course or setting aside weekly time to learn new software, having clear objectives can keep you motivated.
Seek opportunities within your company. Many companies offer training programs or will support external courses financially. Speak to your HR department about what's available. This benefits your skill set and shows your initiative to grow within the company.
Join professional groups or networks. Engaging with professional groups, online or in person, can expose you to new ideas and skills. These networks provide learning opportunities and the chance to discuss career challenges with peers experiencing the same feelings of stagnation.
3. Your Career Trajectory Has Stalled
If your career trajectory has stalled, it can feel like you're trapped on a treadmill—running hard but going nowhere. This often happens when there's a lack of promotion opportunities within your current company. Maybe you've topped out at your job level, or the next step requires an opening that doesn't come around.
This ceiling not only limits your professional growth but can also diminish your enthusiasm and engagement with work. Without the prospect of advancement or new challenges, days can blend into one another, each as uninspiring as the last, leading to a pervasive sense of boredom and frustration.
On a personal level, a stalled career trajectory can stem from not expanding your skills or failing to align your job with your evolving career aspirations. As you grow and change, what once felt like the right path might now seem ill-fitted to your current goals and interests. This misalignment can make you feel like your professional life isn't keeping pace with your personal development.
When what you do no longer reflects who you are or what you want to achieve, it’s easy to feel disconnected and stalled. Recognizing this gap is the first step towards reigniting your passion for work and reshaping your career path to better fit your future self.
Settling in a job position for too long or if your current work environment has little room for career advancement, you may need help finding the passion to accomplish your work goals.
What to Do About It
Seek career advice. Sometimes, all you need to make sense of what you're feeling is sincere and constructive feedback. Advice from mentors, trusted colleagues, or career counselors can help you identify the gaps and offer solutions that can turn the tide in your favor.
Develop key skills. Time spent in a company doesn't guarantee a promotion. Take a mentorship or online course to learn or improve existing skills. Adding value to your skill set can eventually put your name in line for the next promotion.
Create meaningful work relationships. Connect with as many work colleagues as possible and join relevant online communities. LinkedIn, one of the most successful social media sites for professionals, is a good place to start. Based on people's experiences, you may find the helpful insights you need to advance your career.
4. Your Job is Legitimately Boring for You
A sense of stagnation at your job can result from actual boredom. Feeling bored at work can stem from different reasons, including doing the same repetitive tasks day after day and feeling under-challenged.
If you're performing tasks out of habit—even in a job you love and are intrinsically aligned for—boredom can quickly set in. Over time, boredom can cause a lack of motivation which may lead to the question, "Is this all there is to life?"
Many of the things we have discussed can help reduce or eliminate that feeling of boredom. But sometimes we have no choice but to stay with the same boring job. If that's you, you may need to seek your sense of fulfillment outside of your work environment.
What to Do About It
Set goals for yourself. Your company may not have specific goals for you, but you can set daily and weekly SMART goals to make your workdays more motivational and exciting.
Learn something new. Push yourself to try new things. A new hobby can take your mind off things and give you the enjoyment you are not getting from work. Online courses are available, and they don't have to be career-related!
Ask for more work responsibilities. Talk to your boss and request extra tasks. One thing is certain: Your initiative and the extra work hours will not go unnoticed for too long. If this isn't an option, try volunteering!
5. You Have a Fear of the Unknown
What if you already know your time at your current company is up? You are miserable and unhappy; even a tremendous raise would not make you want to stay. Yet you are still there...
Many people stay in this holding pattern—hesitant to make a career change at a job they hate—because of a fear of the unknown. Some of the most common fears include:
- Fear of Financial Instability: "What if the new job doesn’t pay as well? I have bills to pay and can’t risk a lower income."
- Fear of Not Finding Work: "I don’t have many specialized skills; what if I leave and can’t find another job?"
- Fear of Starting Over: "I’ve built up seniority here. Starting anew somewhere else might mean losing that status and having to prove myself all over again."
- Fear of Losing Job Security: "This job isn’t fulfilling, but it’s stable. What if I leave and end up in a role that’s at risk of cuts or layoffs?"
- Fear of Failure: "What if I’m not up to the task at a new job? I might not just disappoint myself, but my family too."
- Fear of the Loss of Comfort: "I know everyone here, I know all the procedures. At a new job, I’d be the outsider, unfamiliar with everything."
- Fear of Regret: "What if I make the switch and it turns out to be worse than my current situation?"
- Fear of Judgment: "What will my family and friends think if I leave a stable job for something uncertain? They might see it as irresponsible or as a step back."
These fears of the unknown are not just personal insecurities; they impact career progression. The research underscores how these fears can cement an employee's decision to stay put in less-than-ideal circumstances.
The consequence?
Many workers find themselves mired in roles that no longer serve their career ambitions or personal growth, leading to pervasive feelings of boredom, stagnation, and unfulfillment. Understanding and confronting these fears can be the first step towards breaking free from this cycle and rediscovering job satisfaction.
What to Do About It
Research and plan your exit. If you are certain that it's time to go, consider all the factors that scare you and research the best solutions. A good example is preparing for your decision's impact on your financial security. With most bases covered, you'll gain the confidence to take the next step.
Leverage your social networks. Actively attend work seminars, engage your clients, and remain active in your online communities while in your current job. Some of the connections could translate into your next job opportunity. That way, you don't have to sit and wait or worry about the unknown.
Stay positive. You have the power to write and rewrite your career story as many times as possible. Tell yourself that you can figure this out, and you'll find true career success and fulfillment despite how you feel now.
6. You are Experiencing Workplace Culture Incompatibility
Last but not certainly not least, working in a place where the work culture is not compatible with your values, needs, and personality can certainly leave you feeling utterly lost. In fact, it's one of the leading causes of workplace burnout.
An exciting and inclusive work culture allows you to flourish and build a successful career. After all, you spend most of your week in the workplace. But your job satisfaction and productivity will decrease when you feel unhappy or unseen, experience unhealthy competition, have a toxic boss, or experience other symptoms of a hostile work environment.
What to Do About It
The first thing you need to do is ask yourself why you are staying in such a job. If you see a possibility for change, talk with your boss or colleagues to see if you can clear up the issues. If you are in a management position, lead by example and hold everyone accountable for the company's core values.
If you are staying purely because of fear, then this is the point where you have to make the hard decision. You spend most of your life at work; there is no need to stay in an environment where you're constantly unhappy, your service goes unrecognized, and you must guess whether you'll be lucky enough to be considered for the next promotion.
If you can't find tangible solutions, it's best to hand in your resignation and look for better opportunities for your mental health and wellness. It may be time to face reality and acknowledge that some situations may be beyond your capacity, especially if you continue to face bureaucratic red tape. Free yourself, quit the job, and take it as a learning experience you can bring into your next opportunity.
Career Advice: Silent Quitting is Not the Solution for Feeling Stuck!
Silent quitting, the trend where employees do the bare minimum required by their roles as a form of protest or disengagement, has become a hot topic, particularly among Millennials and Gen Z.
It might seem like a tempting short-term fix to the monotony and dissatisfaction, but it's not a sustainable solution. By just going through the motions, you risk missing out on opportunities for personal growth and satisfaction from fully engaging with your role and its challenges.
More importantly, this approach can lead to further disconnection and stagnation, deepening the very rut you're hoping to escape.
Instead of withdrawing, consider this a call to action—an opportunity to take control of your professional journey and find a job you love. This is your career, and it should be empowering! Seek out meaningful projects, propose new ideas, or start conversations about role evolution with your supervisors.
Engaging proactively with your work environment can transform your job from a daily grind to a source of fulfillment and growth. By facing challenges head-on rather than stepping back, you enhance your skill set and potentially ignite a positive change in your workplace culture.
Remember, feeling stuck is a signal, not a fate. Use it as a catalyst to propel yourself toward a career that feels as dynamic and promising as you had hoped.
Feel Stuck or Bored at Work? It's Not Too Late to Take a Career Test
If you would like to get unstuck, become more productive, and rekindle your passion for your job or make the next best career move, a career test can help you get started. We'll help you learn more about your personality and worldview of work and match you with ten jobs that bring you the best chance of career success!
