6 Signs You Need to Change Careers

Realising that you are in the wrong job, or even career, can feel soul-destroying at first, especially if you have invested time and money getting to your current position. A job, like any relationship, has to be a good fit, else it can bring stress, misery, and low self-esteem. Deciding to leave primary school teaching (and begin my departure entirely from the UK education system) was the best decision I ever made for both my mental and physical health. However, I avoided the signs for years and almost hit breaking point.

Don’t make the same mistake.

Here are six signs (red flags, if you will) that it’s time for you to take your skill set elsewhere.

1. You wake up each morning with a sense of dread

It’s 6AM and your alarm goes off. You silence it, but continue to lie in bed, staring vacantly at the ceiling. You feel paralysed, unable to move. You eventually make it to the shower but keep giving yourself ‘one more minute’, finding any excuse to stay a little longer. You space out.

This is not normal if it’s happening every day. Your job should not make you feel this way. That aching feeling in your chest is your body warning you that something isn’t right. Not every day should bring the same level of anxiety as a life-changing event.