Has work got you down? 蠹蟲 髒/Flickr
If you're constantly feeling miserable on the job, your feelings might be more than just a spell of the blues.
Of course, work is work. Not every day is going to be fantastic. Oftentimes, you will feel stressed or even a bit dejected. However, if you love — or even just like — your job, those feelings will pass in time.
If you're truly unhappy with your job, however, it could really wreak havoc on other areas in your life.
Here are a few indicators that your job is actually making you miserable.
1. You're bored with life
This might be a classic case of your work spilling over into your life. If you're not feeling challenged and motivated in the office, you may experience feelings of dissatisfaction and inertia in other areas of your life.
2. You hate all your coworkers
Everyone has someone at the office they might not get along with, a Toby Flenderson to their Michael Scott.
But you definitely shouldn't be feeling that level of animosity toward all or even most of your coworkers. If your colleagues are bumming you out, it's possible that you're just unlucky or the company culture is toxic. Either way, it's not a good situation if you're consistently upset over drama going down in the office.
3. You're stuck in a rut
Outwardly, nothing's going wrong at work. You just feel trapped. If you're feeling stuck, that could be messing with your overall life satisfaction. It's probably time to switch things up.
4. You loathe your boss
There are so many clichés out there about mean and unreasonable bosses, but this one's actually pretty important. If you don't mesh with your supervisor's managerial style, that's a major problem and could leave you feeling low — especially if they're a bully.
5. You've lost the passion
You feel totally numb about your job. You're not excited about any projects or upcoming possibilities. If you're not careful, your apathy about your work could eventually spread to other areas of your life.
6. You can barely get out of bed
This one's understandable, to an extent. Beds are pretty awesome. Those among us who aren't perky, superhuman morning people often prefer to snuggle up and hit the snooze button.
However, if peeling yourself off your mattress is a daily, emotional battle, that could be a sign that you really dread going to work.
7. You're not getting paid enough
Your job's okay, but it doesn't pay. Maybe that was acceptable when you were just starting out, but you want to be compensated now that you've accepted more responsibilities. If you're feeling blue over what you feel are unfair wages, it's probably time to talk about getting a raise or move on to a company that will compensate you fairly.
8. You never see your friends and family
A bad work-life balance can lead to a sad, lonely life. If you're constantly taking care of business and working over time, whether that means long hours in the workplace or even being glued to your inbox after you get home, you risk damaging your personal relationships.
9. You're underemployed
You constantly feel like your potential isn't being tapped. Your skills and talents are underutilized. Your voice just isn't being heard.
You're craving a challenge and not having one is driving you a bit crazy.
10. You have zero energy
You feel sluggish, like you're moving in slow motion. You feel sleepy at your desk, even though you know you're fully rested.
Feeling drained could be a sign that you work is taking a lot out of you. Work can be demanding, but it shouldn't always leave you feeling like a shell of a person.
11. You can't focus
You sit down at your desk, ready to work. Hours later, you realize you've accomplished nothing. All you've done is check all your social media platforms, glanced at the clock, and made small talk with your desk neighbors. Everyone gets distracted, but if you're a generally competent person that can't seem to focus, it's possible that your job is just a bad fit.
12. You feel sick
If you're feeling under the weather all the time, that may be a sign that your job is running you down.
13. You're more interested in your friends' jobs
LinkedIn's cool, but if you're spending too much time stalking your friends' profiles, you might be feeling some work-related envy. You fear your job is inferior and feel you're missing out on other, better possibilities. This jealousy is enough to make anyone miserable.
14. You complain about work — a lot
If you're truly unhappy and unfulfilled with your job, you may start to spend a lot of time and energy explaining to friends, family, and anyone who will listen just how bad your job is at the moment.
15. You filter out anything good about work
When you're feeling low, you tend to see the glass as half empty.
Even if nine good things happen at work one day, you will probably focus on the one bad thing.
16. You get the Sunday-night blues
Sunday is usually not a relaxing day if your job is making you miserable.
Your anxiety about work means you will have a mentally exhausting end to your weekend, which can make you ill-prepared to face the work week ahead.
17. You're irritable
If you're miserable at work, you might find yourself snapping at your coworkers simply for having their phone go off or for chewing too loudly.
Even worse, your new grouchy attitude might follow you home, straining relationships with friends and family members.
18. You never talk about work
Your job isn't top secret, but it might as well be for the amount of time you spend talking about it. Most people have at least one or two funny stories to share about their work. If your gig has got you totally clammed up, either because you don't want to talk about it or your have nothing good to say, maybe it's a sign that you should be looking for work elsewhere.
19. Your body language is off
There's no mistaking the body language mistakes that leave you looking beaten down and dejected. Slumped shoulders, shuffling instead of walking, and forgetting to smile all give off unhappy vibes. If you've just fallen into some bad habits, that's one thing. But if your body language is actually mirroring your feelings, consider what's causing your sense of dismay. If the answer is your job, then you're probably not in a great situation.
Natalie Walters contributed to a previous version of this article.
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