Signs you’ve fallen out of love with your job

Do you still have the same passion for your job as when you first started? Or do you feel the love you once had for your role has faded?

If you’re becoming tired of mounting stressors, monotonous tasks, or the general sense of unfulfillment in your job, you may be wondering whether that passion you once felt can ever be reignited. When it comes to your relationship with your job, similar to navigating your personal relationships, it’s important to determine whether you’re going through a resolvable rough patch – or if you should call it quits entirely.

But how can you determine if you have fallen out of love with your job with little hope of rekindling the flame? We explore some of the key signs…

These negative feelings have been going on for while

Issues such as an increase in your workload due to an upcoming deadline, minor conflict with colleagues, or going through periods of change can temporarily impact your work-life balance and workplace satisfaction – but “temporarily” is the key word here. If you’ve had a stressful couple of weeks at work, it may not be cause for long-term concern. Issues like these often resolve themselves, so if you decide to start job searching the moment the going gets tough, you may find yourself in an awkward predicament when the next week you’re back to feeling happy with work, but now you’re receiving interview requests from roles you hastily applied for.

The ‘Sunday scaries’ are a regular occurrence

The ‘Sunday scaries’ – also sometimes referred to as the ‘Sunday blues’ – is the feeling of anxiety and dread that some workers feel at the end of the weekend caused by the anticipation of the upcoming workweek. This phenomenon can be a regular occurrence for those who are unhappy in their job. One study by the University of Exeter found that these feelings are often compounded by unfinished tasks, weekend emails and the blurring of work-life boundaries – especially with the rise of remote work since the Covid-19 pandemic.

The study determined that even those who are happy in their jobs can fall victim to the ‘Sunday scaries,’ so having these feelings every so often may not mean it’s necessary to kickstart your job search. Instead, you may want to consider taking measures to mitigate these negative feelings, such as setting yourself a to-do list each Friday afternoon for the following week to help you feel organised and less overwhelmed, or turning off your email notifications outside of your contracted hours to avoid disturbances during your down-time. However, if you’re experiencing severe feelings of dread most Sundays, it can have a serious impact on your wellbeing, and is a sign that you may want to explore opportunities elsewhere.

You’ve raised your concerns – but nothing has changed

The most common reasons for employee dissatisfaction are a lack of career progression, closely followed by the salary being too low, with 48% and 47%, respectively, of those who are unhappy with their current job citing these as key factors, according to our 2025 Salary and Recruiting Trends Guide. If you have similar concerns – or something different entirely – have you spoken to your manager to see what can be done? If not, you may be being too hasty by breaking up with your employer before giving them a chance to change. Just like in a relationship, it’s wise to talk through any negative feelings to see if you can come to a solution that benefits both parties.

However, if you’ve already spoken to your manager about your concerns to no avail, then it may be time to start looking for a new job that does fulfil your requirements. Perhaps you’ve put in a solid case for a pay rise but have had your request rejected without good reason, or you’ve repeatedly asked for clarity on career progression but still have no idea when a promotion may be on the cards. Whatever your disgruntlement, if it’s not taken seriously by your current employer or there’s no action taken to alleviate your concerns, this could leave you feeling undervalued and rapidly fizzle out any remaining spark between you and your job.

You’re almost certain that the grass would be greener

It’s important to do your research to check if your expectations are realistic, otherwise you may struggle with your job search – or worse, end up joining a new company and regretting it. If you’re looking for a salary uplift, for example, take a look at our salary checker to see if you’re already being paid the market rate, or above, for your experience level. Or if you want more flexible working options, you can find out the latest hybrid and remote working trends in our 2025 Salary and Recruiting Trends Guide.

No matter your reason, or reasons, for being unhappy in your role, if you’re almost certain that the grass would be greener at a different company, then that’s a clear sign that you’ve fallen out of love with your job and it’s a sensible time to start job searching if you haven’t already.

Looking to fall in love with work again? Check out our latest vacancies – we add new roles daily.