Getting out the ‘rut’

Since the beginning of the pandemic, workers around the world have been resigning from their jobs in record numbers and are searching for better opportunities. Now, there are more vacancies than there are job seekers, which is amazing to see.

Open Season

According to CNBC, in 2021 there were 1 million more open job positions than there were job seekers in the U.S., and many of these new startups and fresh businesses are giving a huge focus to the mental health of their workers, especially when compared to their legacy and corporate counterparts.

This is a huge attraction for workers old and young, but, stepping away from the comfort of working at an established company, one you may have been at for some years, is still a daunting task and not easy to say goodbye to.

You, Me, and the Working Mentality

I was struggling with my mental health at a previous job. The days were tough, unrewarding, and the hours weren’t making it any easier.

Getting a good sleep was a matter of “if” instead of “when”, my jaw was constantly painful from tension, I was struggling to socialise, the list goes on. In addition, I also suffer from epilepsy which can be triggered by lack of sleep and stress, which as you can imagine is a pretty tricky situation to be in.

It was a vicious cycle, and at first, I thought it was just the pandemic taking its toll on me, but as workplaces changed and adapted to the “new normal”, it became clear that it wasn’t just the backdrop of Covid-19 that was damaging me, it was the job itself.

Whilst it’s rather easy to say “just get a new job!”, which I often heard from friends and family, my situation worsened every time they did. When your mental health is declining, the last thing you think you want is to uproot yourself from the foundations of stable work.

I’d been wanting to leave for some time, but mustering up that courage is bloody hard, and the sporadic and odd working hours made it even tougher to achieve. I had no energy, no direction, and a constant sense of dread.

Be Bold

The constant risk that has loomed over us for the past 2 years has confronted us all with a lot of uncomfortable realities. But, it seems that despite the challenges we all face personally, we’re all willing to take greater risks for the sake of our happiness.

If you’re wondering how much better life could be elsewhere, then use that as fuel for your fire.

I finally took that step last year and joined Myth, and it’s already been an amazing journey so far. Mentally, I find myself more at peace than ever, especially now that I’m back working in a creative field. We all deserve recognition and reward for the hard work we do, in whatever role we decide to take on.

No one deserves to feel unappreciated, unhappy or stuck in a place where they don’t feel valued. Many employers are failing to address these issues on an individual level and, subsequently, this can breed a negative environment.

If a larger proportion of a workforce is struggling, then employers need to look a lot deeper at the root cause of the problem and address the wants and needs of their employees properly.

Focusing on improving and nurturing an open workplace culture is crucial for employee wellbeing. Transparency is key here. Armadillo wrote a great blog post on this last year.

This post is a personal one, and I just want to show you all that as someone who has been through terribly dark days, there are brighter ones to come, and I hope this inspires you to take that first step towards a better future for yourself.

The grass really is greener.