What to do when you’re unhappy at work

Sandra Hardee, MD

Occupational Medicine

Work-related stress is a common problem. Whether it’s due to communication issues with coworkers, feeling overloaded, working long hours or other issues, being unhappy at work can lead to higher stress levels and feeling dissatisfied every day. It can even bleed over into your personal life, as well as cause problems with physical health.

Sandra Hardee, MD, answered questions on what to do when you’re unhappy at work, the causes of work-related stress and more.

What are some causes of work-related stress?

“Work-related stress can be caused by lacking one or more of the conditions that support building and maintaining resilience and a positive experience in the workplace,” said Dr. Hardee.

These conditions include:

• Meaning in work
• Feeling in control of your job
• Having a balanced workload
• Optimized teams and roles
• Having the resources you need to succeed
• Leadership engagement
• Psychological safety
• Job security

When any of these conditions is missing, it’s easy for stress  to build up and lead to burnout.

How can work-related stress affect your health?

“We know that chronic stress can result in many different medical conditions, including chronic diseases,” said Dr. Hardee. “It goes far beyond lowered self-esteem or feeling stuck with no career advancement. Feeling unhappy at work can raise your risk for serious health concerns.”

Those who experience prolonged stress have an increased risk of developing impaired cognition, Alzheimer’s disease, obesity, migraines, hypertension, diabetes, muscle and joint pain, depression, anxiety, premature aging and more. They also struggle with higher rates of loneliness and divorce.

What is “quiet quitting” or “acting your wage”?

“’Quiet quitting’ or ‘acting your wage’ refers to workers who do only the bare minimum required for their job. They’re not enthusiastic or engaged employees,” said Dr. Hardee. “This is usually a response to work-related stress or a perceived lack of  career advancement opportunities. Unfortunately, it can have unwanted consequences for the employee if their employer perceives them as disengaged or disinterested.”

This kind of negative view really doesn’t reflect the bigger picture of what employees who engage in ‘quiet quitting’ or ‘acting their wage’ are experiencing. Employers and members of leadership should recognize that this kind of behavior is often a method of coping with work-related stress. Feeling burnt out, exhausted and cynical about your job can make it much more difficult to do more than the minimum for even the best employees.

There are ways for employers to support their employees, and those should be explored by leadership to help their struggling employees feel more engaged and appreciated in the workplace.

What to do when you’re unhappy at work

“Most importantly, open and honest discussions about what is working and what isn’t for team members and leaders can absolutely help reduce burnout and stress at work,” said Dr. Hardee. “Sharing experiences and perspectives can lead to collaborative solutions that reduce stress and help everyone move forward in a more positive way.”

There are many activities that can help reduce stress and keep your body from being  chronically overwhelmed by stress hormones, such as:

• Physical activity: Take a brisk walk or perform a few exercises a few times per day.
• Stretching or massage: Even if you can’t leave your desk, stretching your back, arms and legs can help you work out tension and feel more comfortable and relaxed.
• Humor: There’s a reason they say laughter is the best medicine!
• Music: Try listening to music in-between tasks or during the workday.
• Random acts of kindness: Make being kind to coworkers, strangers and loved ones a habit.
• Reconnecting with folks: Go out for a 10-minute chat over coffee. Reconnecting can help you feel more engaged at work.
• Mindfulness: Mindfulness meditation can be incredibly helpful when dealing with stress.

How can I improve my work-life balance?

“One way to maintain  a healthy balance between work and life, especially for remote workers who may be working at home, is to establish a boundary ritual,” said Dr. Hardee. “A boundary ritual would be a brief physical act that separates work from personal life.”

Examples of useful boundary rituals might be to practice deep breathing for 60 seconds, taking a shower, taking a 10- to 15-minute walk before or after work, sitting with a cup of tea for 15 minutes or any other habit that helps your mind create a clean ‘break’ between the workday and your personal time at home.

“As busy as our lives are, we have to prioritize and schedule activities that contribute to our well-being,” said Dr. Hardee. “Hobby time, time spent enjoying the company of our friends, family and loved ones, exercise, volunteer work … anything that helps you feel more balanced in life is worth making time for.”

“Make sure that you’re tending to all eight wellness dimensions,” said Dr. Hardee. “This can help protect you from burnout and stress-related health conditions.”

The eight wellness dimensions are:

• Emotional well-being
• Physical health
• Comfortable financial spending and saving patterns
• A sense of meaning and purpose
• Occupational growth opportunities and value
• Social connectedness
• Hobbies and new learning
• Living and working in a supportive physical environment

What can I do if I feel like I’m never really ‘disconnected’ from work?

“Digital overload is very real,” said Dr. Hardee. “Managing that overload can feel so difficult, given how accessible we currently are at all times thanks to email, texts, messaging and every other method of digital communication.”

Dr. Hardee recommended scheduling phone- and computer-free times throughout the week, even if it’s only for half an hour at a time. Make a conscious effort to leave your phone in another room while you spend time with family, for example, or leave it at home while you take a walk. Set expectations at the workplace for when you will be available to answer emails, such as letting coworkers know that any email sent after 5 p.m. won’t be replied to until work hours of the next day.

Finally, look at your current number of meetings and look into which can be shortened or made more efficient and which meetings can be canceled entirely and replaced with shorter updates sent as needed.

Taking control of your workday can help you to feel more balanced and lead to a lower level of work-related stress.