Stuck in a work rut? 3 ways to get out

Feel like you’re stuck in a work rut and on the edge of burnout? Career Elevation Coach Carly Ferguson shares some simple tips to help you move past a tough time

‘Stuck in a work rut’ is an odd place to be. Not moving forwards but not necessarily ready to jump ship to another job, there’s quite often a feeling of despondency, tiredness and inability to take action or make decisions associated with this state of being.

Life Coach Directory Member and Career Elevation Coach Carly Ferguson knows these feelings all too well, having experienced them herself some time ago. However, she believes that it is very possible to move beyond the work rut.

Here’s some practical steps you can take, starting right now…

Cultivate Clarity

Carly notes that one of the biggest issues when it comes to getting yourself out of a work rut is the feeling of not being able to see the wood for the trees.

Talking to a professional, colleague or friend can help but Carly encourages us all to take a moment to consider who might be the best person to turn to and start with someone who has no personal investment in the decision you might make.

“We all have our own fears and we can project those upon other people,” she explains. “So you might be ready to take a risk with your career but you might have a friend who’s more risk averse and that can easily affect your decision.”

Spend time alone

Looking inwards is crucial too, when it comes to cultivating clarity.

“Spending time alone exploring your thoughts and feelings is really important,” Carly shares.

If you’re feeling burnout, stressed, doubtful, afraid, unsure – all those feelings – the best thing you can do is stop focusing on the job

Look elsewhere for joy

Building upon advice she was given when experiencing her own, Carly asserts that the best way to move out of a work rut is to look at where you can experience joy and pleasure elsewhere in your life.

“If you’re feeling burnout, stressed, doubtful, afraid, unsure – all those feelings – the best thing you can do is stop focusing on the job. A lot of us have a lot of our identity wrapped up in work and it feels like the end of the world that things are not going as we’d like in our career’ Carly says.

“I’ve found, for myself and my clients, that the moment we take our focus off it and we start exploring new hobbies, working on our friendships and our personal relationships or our pet that we’re completely neglecting – just taking the pressure off a little bit and focussing on having more of that in our lives can free you up and give you some energy to think differently.”