But What If I Can’t Find Happiness In My Career?

A lot of people contemplate the choice of their careers with the desire to build a fulfilling career path. However, finding joy in your day-to-day job is more easily said than done. Ultimately, when you can’t find happiness in your career, it’s time to look at new opportunities. Taking your skills to a new workplace could be the answer you need. A stressful office environment, bad managers, and unethical company values can affect your perception of your job. 

Perhaps, the choice you made for your career does not match your priorities anymore. When this happens, it can be a good idea to consider a career change. The typical American changes career on average three times in their lifetime. Pursuing your education or using your transferable skills are some of the most effective strategies to rediscover your work excitement. But what if you’ve tried every way of improving your work and you still can’t find any joy in it? 

Here’s a thought for you: When you can’t find happiness in your career, perhaps you can find it elsewhere. 

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Learn some creative tricks from the pro

Professionals want to find meaning in their careers, which is where creativity is a crucial factor of satisfaction. Being creative enables you to express your thoughts and convey a message that can move your audience. Unfortunately, this kind of creativity is not always welcome in the workplace. But rather than being frustrated, you could find alternative solutions to utilize your creativity for good, even if it isn’t your full-time job. Take a look at someone like Joey Armstrong, who’s passionate about creating music and distributing his work independently. This allows him and his band to support causes that are meaningful to them without becoming the puppet of a big label. 

Get hands-on creative experience

Sometimes, being creative just for the sake of creativity is a unique path that taps into your unused potential. Bottled-up frustration accumulates and drives your stress levels high. So, how about using your creativity as an ointment for your soul? Handmade creativity, especially, boosts both your happiness and mental health. Whether you choose scrapbooking, painting, or sewing, the act of doing something with your hands is a natural antidepressant. Could it be that your career frustrations were linked to the lack of craft hobbies in your life? It’s worth a try! 

Move abroad

According to a study from INSEAD and Northwestern University, living overseas boosts creativity. The study, published in the Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, explores the impact that living abroad has on an individual’s creativity. In a first experiment, students were asked to attach a candle to the wall in such a way that the wax would not fall onto the table or floor. Among the participants, 60% of those who had lived abroad were able to find a solution, against 42% of those who had never lived abroad. A second experiment considered a roleplay exercise, that 70% of those who had lived abroad managed to solve vs. none of the other group. The bottom line: Living abroad makes you think outside the box and makes you more adaptable, so you are better equipped to bring joy into your career path or your life. 

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Finding happiness in your life doesn’t only include a job that is fulfilling. It’s essential to understand the main ways in which you can vent your frustration, tap into your unused potential, and learn to think outside the box to avoid obstacles.