There is light at the end of the tunnel

After having many conversations with my husband over the years and just today, talking to someone who was struggling with this very question, I felt the need to write this.  Do you have a stressful job?  Are you trying to decide whether to say in that job or look for something else?  Are you trying to decide between a lower paying job with less stress or a higher paying job with more stress?  I think a lot of people have to make this decision every single day.

The first question you have to ask yourself is do you like your job?  How about the company you work for and the people you work with or is it a “drama” job?  Do you feel like you are living in your own soap opera every single day?  Are you under so much stress that you feel like you are going to break?  Stressful jobs can frequently become toxic jobs.  Do you dread going to work every day?  Do you look for reasons not to go in, because you don’t want to have to deal with the drama? Perhaps it’s time to look for a new job.

You have to ask yourself a few questions in trying to decide whether to look for a new job or not.  First, do you like your employer, but not the job itself?  Is there another job within the company that you feel you would be better suited to?  Will the company allow a transfer between areas?  Or are you so fed up with your job and company that no changes you make would help you like your job any better?

What about benefits?  Would leaving your company and going into a new job give you better benefits?  Or would you loose too much jumping into a new job.  Do you have marketable skills or would you benefit from more experience where you are at?  Jobs can be hard to come by these days.  You don’t want to jump into something that will add even more stress to your life, or cause worry about money, benefits or retirement.  These are all things you need to look at before taking the leap of looking for a new job or moving to a new company.  How do you know that the next job will be better than the one you have now?  If you don’t like what you are doing, no matter where you go, you will feel the same way.  However, if you love your job, but don’t like the people you work with or the company you work for, a job change could be a positive thing for you.  You really need to look deep inside and decide if it’s the job, the people or the company (or a mixture of the three) that makes your job feel toxic to you.

If you have a family to support, it could be even worse to move from one job to another.  However, if you come up upset, depressed or moody, finding a different job or moving to a different position could improve your whole outlook on life.  A toxic job can also lead to a toxic family life.  If you are experiencing any of these feelings, you need to sit down and talk to your spouse, family and/or company to see what can possibly be done to make things better.  Don’t let a toxic job ruin your whole life.  Life is stressful enough without having the added stress of a toxic job.  Don’t just jump up and quit your job however.  Start with talking to your company about why your job is stressful and if anything can be done within the company.  If not, than take your off time to consider the pros and cons of looking for a new job.  You can then make an informed decision on whether to stay where you are for the time being, or to start looking for a new job that will relieve some of your stress and possible help improve your family life as well.