how to tell when it's the time to find a new job.

You sit up suddenly with a cocktail of emotions about your job. The current job feels safe, and you find no solid reason to leave it. Yet, there has been a drop in your enthusiasm for work. There’s this niggling restlessness and dissatisfaction that refuses to go away. And you wonder, is it time for me to find a new job? But wait, how can I be sure I am doing so for the right reasons?

Here are seven signs that can help you make your decision.

#1 – your aspirations have changed.

This is a very positive sign you should pay attention to. You don’t have to be unhappy in your current job to think about a change. There are some new avenues you feel excited about and want to try getting into. If that is the case, go for it. Plan the transition well, and find that

aspirational job!

#2 – you find your well-being going for a toss.

Listen closely to your body and mind. Is it suffering — or even struggling? Does your job dominate your thoughts and talk, even among friends and family? Pause to recognize signs of stress — that constant feeling of anxiety, of being bored and lethargic, of getting easily irritable, of not being able to eat and sleep well, etc. If you say yes to most of these, it is time to look at other signs too.

#3 – you don’t feel challenged anymore.

You work efficiently, but you do so on an autopilot mode. You also realize that you have not really moved ahead in learning or doing new things for quite some time now. There is no challenge that stimulates you to do different or better. This is a sure red flag for seeking better

opportunities — inside or outside — your company.

#4 – you experience a toxic work environment.

Do you find constant negativity at work? Are you in a space where bullying, disrespect, fear, malice and dysfunction are part of the work culture? If your values do not align with that of your organization — it is time to explore other options.

#5 – you see no opportunity to advance.

Opportunities for advancement come in many forms — new learning, promotions, salary that respects the value you bring, career advancements, stretch assignments, etc. If you are consistently being ignored for any or more of these, despite being a top performer, you should be looking elsewhere.

#6 – you blame everything on your job.

Do you find yourself getting into a thinking rut that your job is the cause of all that’s not going right in your life? If you have no time for your loved ones, it’s because of your job. If you are not able to take care of your health or fitness, it’s your job that doesn’t allow you to. If you are not

the cheerful person that you were once before, it’s the dynamics at work that has made you so.

If so, it’s time to move away from the job you don’t think much about. But also make sure you don’t carry the negativity to your new job.

#7 – the thought of quitting keeps coming back again and again.

All of us — even if we are content in our present job — occasionally think or dream about quitting. That is perfectly normal, and understandable when we have a bad day, or a temporary bad stretch. But when the ‘occasional’ thought turns into a regular fantasy, you may want to take it more seriously. Or at least dive deep into what’s causing it, and find out if a new job is the answer.

Do you experience any or more of the seven signs we have talked about? If so, it is time to ponder and act. On an average, we spend at least a third of our day at work. That’s a lot of time, and you will agree that it deserves to be spent with purpose and happiness to bring out the best version of yourself. Does your current job enable you to do that? If the answer is yes, great! If it is a ‘no’, or ‘not really’, it is time for a change — either in the same organization, or with another.