The Great Gloom: Why Have We Become Apathetic At Work?

Last updated by Rosie Harlow

Demotivated, exhausted, no longer in the mood to work... Sound familiar? I do, and I'm not the only one! More and more people are becoming apathetic at work, completely unmotivated and uninvested. Economists call it the ā€œgreat gloomā€, which follows on from the period of ā€œgreat resignationā€. But why do we reach this state, to the point of being absolutely disconnected? What can we do to get better? I try to answer these crucial questions.

The Great Gloom: Why Have We Become Apathetic At Work?

A cocktail of demotivating factors

I had already talked about the "great resignation" that followed the Covid period in my article on the desire to work less. The pandemic allowed many of us to realize that life isn't just about work, so many resigned to change jobs and find meaning again.

Unfortunately, a few years later, things haven't changed much. We still have a lack of recognition, a monotonous routine, repetitive tasksā€¦ All of this leads us to bore-out, not to mention that professional relationships can sometimes be tense. In short, it's a perfect cocktail of demotivating factors šŸ˜…!

Read; Why I hate my job...

šŸ’¬

Personally, I hate the idea of giving my time to enrich someone else. Being at the bottom of the ladder and investing in something Iā€™m detached from. In fact, this is the Marxist reflection, which highlighted that work under capitalism was alienation. Workers are dispossessed of the fruits of their labor, reduced to the state of a commodity. No wonder we end up feeling drained, disconnected from what we do šŸ˜“.

Absenteeism, turnover, loss of productivity

This great gloom is not without consequences. Indeed, more and more people are practicing quiet quitting and gradually disengaging from their work. Absenteeism is skyrocketing, to the point that:

42% of employees have been on sick leave due to work-related health issues, according to a study by Malakoff Humanis.

Obviously, this costs companies money because when we are demotivated, there is a loss of productivity. A Gallup study estimates that this costs American companies up to $500 billion per year. I would have liked to find a study with figures for France, but I have no doubt it also costs French companies a lot šŸ˜¬.

However, it's out of the question to feel sorry for them because the loss of money is secondary; what's important is the deep malaise we feel as employees. The great gloom impacts our health, our balance, our relationship with workā€¦ If we continue like this, we are heading straight for disaster šŸ˜„!

šŸ‘‹ This article might interest you: What is blurring? It's when the work day never ends

How to get out of the great gloom?

Faced with this alarming observation, companies will have to mobilize to stem this wave of gloom. It's not just a financial issue, but above all a human challenge.

To achieve this, several avenues deserve to be explored šŸ¤”:

šŸ‘‰ First of all, it is essential to give meaning and recognition to everyone's work, so that we feel valued and involved. Promoting autonomy, encouraging initiative-taking, and offering stimulating challenges are all levers to inject new dynamics into our working lives. Establishing a positive and caring corporate culture, based on listening and well-being, is also crucial. Finally, offering us opportunities for advancement and training will allow us to better project ourselves and develop our skills.

a woman who is fed up with her work

As for employees, what should we do? The best advice I can give is to consider a professional reconversion to find meaning again. Here are some tips for changing careers.

My generation, millennials, is unhappy at work. Therefore, these actions will have to fit into a broader context, marked by deep trends and profound changes in the relationship with work. Companies must reinvent and transform themselves to create conditions for fulfilling and meaningful work, far from the current gloom.

The Editorial Opinion: Does this resonate with you?

If you nodded at every line of this article, maybe it's time to take action. Consulting a psychologist isn't just for when you feel at rock bottom. It's also a proactive step to understand your emotions, untangle your thoughts, and maybe even find a smile between two endless Zoom meetings. Who knows, maybe a small session with a professional could help you see your work from a new perspective? Or at least, give you a space to constructively vent about what troubles you at work.

Who knows, maybe you'll discover that the problem wasn't the work, but just a need to talk and feel heard. Courage, the couch isn't that far away! šŸ›‹ļø #BornToTalk

šŸ¤— Understanding, accepting, being happy... It's here and now!
#BornToBeMe

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Article presented by
Rosie, Harlow

"Writing has always been a form of therapy for me. For as long as I can remember, I have always used paper as a punching bag. Get to know me, I am Rosie Harlow."

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