Feeling disengaged with your job or business? How to get reengaged

Feeling disengaged with your job or business? How to get reengaged

Feb 20, 2022

Are you wondering why you feel differently about your job or business and are not as motivated anymore? As you move through different stages of your life, career and business, your energy can wax and wane. Sometimes you'll be wanting to step on the gas to forge forward and will feel more enthusiasm and other times you'll feel like you want to just coast along. It's a good idea to accept where you are.


Think about whether any of the following applies:

  • lack of feedback and recognition for what you contribute;
  • lack of resources (time, money, technology); or
  • lack of a sense of purpose; or
  • not in alignment with the company's goals and objectives?


To help you reengage with your job or business, consider these frameworks to lift your enthusiasm.


1. The PERMA Model by Dr Martin Seligman

This model was created by Dr Martin Seligman in 2012, a pioneer in positive psychology, who wanted to change the focus from what caused mental illness to focusing on what's good and positive in life. This model underpins support for motivation and wellbeing. Research shows that the elements of PERMA contribute to:

  • health;
  • vitality;
  • job satisfaction;
  • life contentment;
  • commitment to an organisation.


It includes the following elements:

  • Positive emotion
  • Engagement
  • Relationships (positive)
  • Meaning
  • Accomplishments.

These elements are the pillars for your well-being.


P - Positive emotion

Positive emotion includes joy, love, gratitude and hope. Increasing positive emotions leads to the feeling of wellbeing and strengthens your physical, intellectual, psychological, and social resources.


What are actions you can take to increase positive emotions?

  • Spend time with people who fill your cup up not drain you. Is there someone in your company that you can connect with who naturally uplifts you? Is there a business mentor who inspires you in your business?
  • Focus on gratitude. Reflect on what you are grateful for in your job and business. Here is information on creating a gratitude journal.


E - Engagement

This step is consistent with the concept of "Flow" developed by Csikszentmihalyi’s (1989). Flow, or this concept of engagement, occurs when the perfect combination of challenge and skill/strength is found (Csikszentmihalyi & LeFevre, 1989).


People are more likely to experience flow when they access their strengths.


It's important to know your strengths in your job or business, so consider these questions?

  • What are your strengths?
  • How do you use your strengths each day?
  • What rating do you give from 1 (not at all satisfied) - 10 (very satisfied) about how frequently you use your strengths in your job or business? What is one or two actions you could take to improve your score by one point?


What actions can you take to increase your engagement?

  • Connect with your strengths as indicated above.
  • Focus on activities that you really love and outsource or find others to work on the things that you don't enjoy.


R - Relationships (positive)

We are social creatures so spending time tending to our relationships is key to happiness and longevity. Nurture positive and supportive relationships with your family and friends. You can find out how important relationships are by clicking here and viewing the findings in this Harvard longitudinal study.


In the PERMA model, relationships are about feeling supported, loved and valued by others.


What actions can you take to build relationships?

  • Get in touch with someone you haven't connected with in awhile.
  • Join a class or a regular meeting group.


M - Meaning

Having meaning, a connection to something greater than yourself and purpose in life contributes to wellbeing. Meaning can come from your job or business or an extra-curricular pursuit. Having this connection to life purpose helps through adversity and significant challenges.


Findings show that people who have purpose in life live longer and have greater life satisfaction and fewer health problems (Kashdan, Mishra, Breen, & Froh, 2009).


What actions can you take to find meaning in your life?


A - Accomplishments/Achievements

Having a sense of accomplishment from working towards your goals and being self-motivated improves well-being. Achieving intrinsic goals such as growth and connection contribute to increased well-being more than external goals e.g. money or fame (Seligman, 2013).


What actions can you take to feel accomplishment/achievement in your job or business?

  • Reflect on your past successes and write down what you have achieved.
  • Celebrate your success. Notice the smallest steps you have made in the direction of your goals.



2. Healthy Mind Platter by Dr Dan Siegel and Dr David Rock

The authors state that a healthy mind comes from "integration" and 7 essential mental activities per day to support our brain and wellbeing including:

  • Focus time: schedule specific time such as 30 minutes where you are focused on an activity and not distracted/interrupted e.g. reading a book.
  • Playtime: doing something spontaneous and laughing.
  • Connecting time: connecting and communicating with others or nature.
  • Physical time: energising and moving your body.
  • Time in: inner reflection e.g mindfulness, meditation, yoga.
  • Downtime: allowing your mind to wander or daydream. You could do this whilst listening to music or with a pad and pen.
  • Sleep time: getting 7-9 hours of sleep per day does wonders to rejuvenate the brain.

I encourage you to invite these 7 mental activities into your day and see if that helps you reengage with your job or business.


If you want to unleash the power of your mind to maximise your well-being then buy "Super Brain" by Deepak Chopra and Rudolph E Tanzi. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.

Here's to living your best life!

 

Melissa Taylor

Future Transcendence Leadership Mentor

Author of A Practical Guide to Finding Your Soul Purpose