Fall Back In Love With Your Job

Eliminate work unhappiness with these steps.

- Gina Roberts-Grey

Dreading the sound of your morning alarm? You’re not alone! Women of colorare among the least contented at the workplace, with about one in three reporting overall job satisfaction, according to data crunched by Vanderbilt University. No longer loving your job (or never really having been enamored of it in the first place) can lead to tedious days. The unhappiness can also take a bite out of your health, causing headaches, a churning stomach, sleep trouble and more, says Jerry D. Smith, Jr., Psy.D., a psychologist in Nederland, Texas. Your love life can suffer, too. “Personal relationships often bear the brunt of discontent at work,” says Smith. But that doesn’t mean you’re destined for drudgery day in and day out. Recognizing that you’ve lost the passion for your current position—and knowing how to rekindle that spark—can lead to less clock-watching and more fulfillment. Here are some tips to help you achieve just that.

IDENTIFYING A WORK RUT

A constant knot in the pit of your stomach, or angst over having to spend one more second with an oh, so annoying coworker, is a sign the romance is over with your job. But there are a few other indicators that you’re unhappy there. Recognize yourself in any of these instances? If so, it could be time for a professional intervention.

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