Pablo Navarro, 35 years old and a lawyer, earns a far greater salary than the average Spanish salary. He employs half a dozen people, but he leaves temporarily in August because he will be taking a leave. It overwhelms me to realize that tomorrow, I will do the exact same thing as today. Tomorrow will be the same. The same routine and mechanical tasks will continue. He reflects on the fact that he needs to do more in his life. He states that he would like to travel to South America and Africa during his hiatus. This will be done using the money he saved over the past decade.
Many people experience what Paul experienced. Our work lives are not what we desire. Statistics show that one in four Spanish workers is unhappy in their current job and may be considering switching jobs. According to Adecco, work absenteeism results in more than 100 million lost working hours each month. You may feel bored, have lost your job, or you did not get the job you wanted. A common ‘evil’ is lack of motivation at work.
Experts add that many people stopped to think about their lives and how they worked during the pandemic.
Many workers feel so uncomfortable that they need to be treated. Sometimes, the solution is outside the control of workers. It is often the company that is responsible. Some people don’t find the right job and feel unhappy. Others do tasks and get salaries they think are unfair in comparison to what their colleagues do. Many claim that they feel frustrated because of lack of recognition, toxic work environments, or poor management. Maria Gallego Blanco is a TopDoctors member and a Health psychologist at Hospital Nuestra Senora de la Esperanza.
Specialists warn that before making any decisions about your professional future, it is important to consider the reasons behind this lack of motivation. Blanco suggests that in order to overcome monotony at work, you should “develop activities outside of the workplace that are motivating.” If you can’t find a solution, consult a mental health professional.
It is also convenient for the worker that his company measures his emotional well-being. If he allows visibility to employees’ voices and channels, he can see if there are any real opportunities to improve things. Experts warn that dissatisfied workers will not only make things worse but can also lead to reluctance over time. It can reduce productivity, engagement, and increase stress levels. It’s not unusual for anxious depressive symptoms and other emotional pathology to be triggered,” says Josefa Ros Velasco (a researcher at Complutense University of Madrid) who studies boredom as another of the evils of modern times.
Pablo’s situation is an example of how he was able to identify the problem and solve it. Not everyone can afford to take a leave. Ros says that making this decision comes down to listening to the root cause of your dissatisfaction, before it becomes chronic.
It can be difficult to leave work at times. The Adecco Group Institute director says that workers are not allowed to quit their jobs if they don’t find good wages or working conditions. He stays, but he burns. The psychologist suggests that “reassessing our situation, identifying what we have and what we want to change, and proposing an action program are fundamental steps to solving the problem.” She also points out that bosses can “offer solutions which will in turn translate into improved productivity as well as emotional levels.”
