Do you have nightmares about your work?
If you do, you’re among the 65 percent of women and 43 percent of men who reported waking up in a cold sweat, worried about their jobs, according to a 2003 survey of 1000 adults conducted by British bank NatWest.
Another 2003 survey of more than 1,000 adults by British education company learndirect revealed that 57 percent of the respondents said they suffer nightmares about their jobs. A quarter of these respondents has these nightmares at least once a week.
“Dreaming about work is incredibly common,” says Lauri Quinn Loewenberg, author of “Dream on It: Unlock Your Dreams, Change Your Life”. “Work is the largest part of our waking life. It’s also a big part of our identity”. If you’re having nightmares, it probably means it’s time to change your job.
Here are 8 tips that might help you decide that you need to embark on something new in your working life.
1.You hate going to work
This is the most obvious sign. Many of us suffer from Sunday blues thinking about work the next day. But if you’re feeling that same dread on weekdays too, that’s a big sign that it’s time to move on.
2. Your organization doesn’t value you
Many organizations today talk about the value of happy employees. But if they’re not walking the talk, you are likely feeling undervalued or even exploited.
If you’ve brought up your concerns with human resources and there is still no change, the situation is not likely to improve for you. As work is such a big part of our identity, feeling undervalued at work can impact on your whole life.
3. You are a tall poppy
This is a syndrome prevalent in Australia, but of course, not limited to that country. It occurs in the work environment when people who have achieved success are disliked by their coworkers for that reason alone.
If you are experiencing envious hostility because of your success, you may be a victim of tall poppy syndrome. Others will work hard to “cut you down to size”. If the culture of your organization doesn’t counteract this, it may be time to move on to other companies where your talents are encouraged and praised.
4. Your boss is a narcissist
While you may not be familiar with the exact psychological description of a narcissist, you know if you have someone with narcissistic personality disorder as your boss.
The Mayo Clinic research group defines narcissistic personality disorder as “a mental disorder in which people have an inflated sense of their own importance and a deep need for admiration” Someone with a narcissistic personality disorder believes they’re superior to others and this leads to them having little regard for other people’s feelings. Often though, this is a mask of ultra-confidence hiding a fragile self-esteem and a vulnerability to the slightest criticism.”
This kind of boss is insensitive and conceited at best, and exploitative or abusive at worst. One of the biggest telltale signs of this kind of person is that they have “favorites”, people who they bestowfavor on for a while, and then drop and replace with another flavor of the day.
Rest assured: narcissistic bosses do not change. It’s best to move on.
5. You need more meaning
If you find yourself wondering if this is “all” there is to life, you may be suffering from a crisis of meaning. As Viktor Emil Frankl, the wise AustrianHolocaust survivor, neurologist and psychiatrist said:
“Ever more people today have the means to live, but no meaning to live for.”
If your work earns you money, but it feels meaningless, it’s a sign that you need to move on to something more fulfilling.
6. You’re having a mid-life crisis
There’s nothing wrong with having a mid-life crisis. In fact, it’s an important rite of passage in our lives; the moment when we stop, re-examine ourselves and our lives, and make the necessary changes. If you’ve reached this point, well done. Now it’s time to listen to your inner self.
7. You don’t support your company’s outcomes
Sometimes we take a job because it fits our skills set. As time goes on, we may realize that we don’t support what the company does. This is especially true when a company does something legal, but controversial. For example, you may be working for an online gambling company as a designer. You may have become aware of the problems associated with gambling, and no longer want to be part of this. Your skills set is still relevant; but your ethics no longer fit with those of your company.
8. You feel limited in your position
Some of us are content to stay where we are in a job; others like to be challenged and extended. If you are in the latter group, you may want to write a persuasively worded argument to your human resources managers to explain how you feel, and suggest other possibilities for yourself in the company.
If one or more of these eight signs resonate with you, view it as an opportunity to make changes in your life. While it’s not easy and you may struggle with the new challenges, it is likely something you will not regret.
