In a Work Rut? 6 Tips to Get Out of It

The fresh feelings of passion and excitement at the start of your career or a new job in general will understandably fade a bit as your circumstances become part of your routine. However, if you constantly feel bored or even dread going to work, there are steps you can take to improve your job satisfaction. Get out of a work rut with these tips: 

1. Steer Clear of Negativity  

If you’re already struggling with feeling like you’re in a rut, engaging in negative dialogue will only make you feel worse and less likely to take action for improvement. Steer clear of negativity at work – avoid prolonged venting sessions, workplace gossip, or conversations about any topics you find trigger you.  

2. Plan a Professional Retreat  

Workplaces often schedule retreats as a way to get out of the office, away from the day-to-day, and really focus on strategic goal planning, brainstorming, motivation, and any of those other crucial tasks that often get pushed aside for seemingly more urgent matters. Apply this same idea but on a personal level and plan a professional retreat. Take a day off to reflect on your feelings about your current job, what you’d like to change, what excites you, etc. Setting aside this time to be alone with your thoughts can help you gain the clarity you need to implement solutions.  

3. Remember Why You Started 

The daily grind of meetings, deadlines, urgent tasks, and emails, can make your days monotonous and obstacles out of your control can be frustrating, which contribute to feeling in a rut. To overcome this, remember why you started in the first place: reminisce on why you picked your line of work in the first place and what you used to find rewarding. This can help you remember the bigger picture purpose of your work, and renew your enthusiasm for your own mission and core values.  

4. Challenge Yourself 

At the start of a new job, you’re constantly learning new things and sharpening your skills but after a while, you may no longer feel stimulated because you’re no longer feeling challenged. Step out of your comfort zone and try to tackle a new skill to stretch yourself and grow professionally.  

5. Switch Up Your Routine 

Being settled into a typical workday schedule can be efficient, but can also contribute to each work day feeling like the one before, leading to a major rut. Switch up your routine occasionally to feel more invigorated. Take a different commute, go for walks on your lunch break, commit to chatting with a colleague from a different department once a week, etc.  

6. Set New Goals  

Making progress and seeing the results of your professional efforts is gratifying and helps you build the momentum to continue to grow. When you find yourself dissatisfied and bored at work, set new goals to work toward. They don’t have to necessarily be directly tied to your specific job duties – for example, you could set a goal to improve your time management or interpersonal skills.  

Take the Next Step in Your Career

International Financial Group is an accounting and finance job placement agency working with employers throughout the United States and Canada. Our mission is to help job seekers find the opportunities that are the best match for your career goals. Contact us today to speak with one of our recruiting experts.