Lost Interest in Job

What to Do When You’ve Lost Interest in Your Job

According to a recent body of research commissioned by the Association of Accounting Technicians, the average British worker will spend nearly 1,800 hours working every year.

That’s a lot of time to spend harbouring negative feelings if you’re at the point where you’ve lost all interest in your job.

In this article, we want to help you pinpoint why you might be feeling this way and offer some advice on what to do to reignite the spark or at least manage the situation more successfully.

So, first thing’s first…

Some reasons why you might have lost interest in work:

  • You’re not being challenged enough in your role
  • Issues outside of work are occupying your mind and distracting you from focus
  • You’ve got a turbulent relationship with your boss or colleague
  • You’re burnt out and have become apathetic as a result
  • You’re in the wrong role or profession
  • There’s a lack of appreciation so your motivation levels are low
  • You can’t see much opportunity for progression
  • You’re low on energy for any number of reasons – lack of sleep, poor diet, nutrient deficiency, poor physical activity etc
  • You need to check in with your mental health

What action to take when you’ve lost interest in work:

Once you’ve diagnosed the symptoms, it’s time to start looking for a solution.

First, start by:

Being open and honest about your feelings

If you are struggling with anything, the best thing you can do is confide in somebody so that they can help you turn the situation around. You never know, opening up to your boss might work in your favour.

Addressing matters outside of work

If you think something in your personal life might be having an impact on your professional outlook, it’s time to address the problem before it gets any worse.

Taking measures to nurture your mental well being 

If you think your lack of interest or motivation might be down to factors of mental health, do whatever it is you need to do to nurse your mind back to good health. For some, this may be as simple as taking time off for a duvet day; for others, this might mean scheduling some time in with a therapist.

If that doesn’t help, try:

Evaluating your physical working environment 

Is your workspace uninspiring? Is your chair super uncomfortable? Are you struggling with a lack of natural light? Science proves how influential physical surroundings are on things like productivity, motivation and concentration.

Taking a couple of weeks holiday

Absence makes the heart grow fonder so taking some substantial time off might be all it takes to reignite the passion for what you do.

Mastering a new skill or process 

Learning something new will either give you what you needed to reinvigorate your current role, or show you what it is you’d really rather be doing.

Still not helping?

Look for a new job

If all of the above fail to have any positive impact, it might be time to choose another route and there’s certainly nothing wrong with that.

 

Have you lost interest in work? Do you have any of your own tips on dealing with the problem? Let us know in the comments below or join us over on Twitter.

Stephanie Whalley
Serial snacker, compulsive cocktail sipper and full time wordsmith with a penchant for alliteration, all things marketing and pineapple on pizza.