What Makes a Job Satisfying

One of the worst things burnout does is to take away the pleasure you once had in your work. And even after recovering you might not recapture the same enthusiasm you once had.

Instead of joy, you start to dread each day and your previous passion and excitement get lost. Cynicism, lack of enthusiasm, and feeling disconnected from your work are some of the key signs of occupational burnout.

• Engagement
• Benefitting other people
• Work you’re good at (and feel valued for)
• Flexibility and control
• Chances for meaningful collaboration.

Work is seen as a source of income and a source of identity. This increases the likelihood of burnout, as it makes a failure in one mean a failure in both.

Blurring the lines between personal and professional life leads us to chase unrealistic deadlines, take on overwhelming workloads, and bring work into all other parts of our lives.

A common symptom (and cause) of burnout is a disconnect between what drew you to that position and the realities of the work. There are 3 ways you can regain the engagement you once felt in your job:

• Add more playfulness and creativity to your day.
• Reflect on your strengths and envision the most appropriately challenging work experience.
• Make space for more flow at work.

Helping others is a common source of satisfaction and happiness at work. This indicates that a positive work environment doesn’t come from salary or perks but from purpose.

Think about the values that got you started down this path in the first place and then rework them into action statements.

Making progress is the most important thing to boost emotions, motivation, and perceptions during a workday. Yet, it’s not just making progress that makes us feel better but celebrating it as well.

By tracking your time and your activities you can better see your progress and you are better able to enjoy the road to a goal, instead of just the accomplishment of the goal itself.

A major cause of burnout is feeling like you don’t control your day. Your locus of control is internal if you think you are in control of what happens to you, and external if you think otherwise.

Numerous studies have connected an internal locus of control to higher levels of happiness. To get a sense of control of your time you can try different time management strategies.

A positive work environment relies on transparent and open communications. And when you’re coming back from burnout, it’s important to be as transparent and open as possible.

Transparent communication makes it easier to voice concerns, set realistic goals, and build a supportive culture. So find the medium that works for you and commit to using it each day. The more you share, the more you’ll start to connect with your job.