What to do if you don’t feel comfortable in your workplace?

What to do if you don’t feel comfortable in your workplace. When starting a new job, it’s natural to struggle with understanding how the company works and establishing new relationships. When starting a new work venture, the situation is often complicated. It takes time to understand the new job, the workings of the company, and to build relationships. Adapting to change is essential, but not immediate.

 

What to do if you don’t feel comfortable in your workplace: Do not regret the change

 

Even if you are dissatisfied or have doubts about your new job, avoid regrets, as this is an unhealthy state of mind and will not allow you to live in the present. Instead of regretting your determination to change jobs or careers, look ahead and make a plan.

 

Remember that starting a new job is hard

 

During the first few months, everyone struggles with how to make connections, understand the workings of the company, and develop new relationships. It takes time to feel at home in your new job. Try to have realistic expectations during the transition.

 

What to do if you don’t feel comfortable in your workplace: Don’t make irrational decisions 

 

Unless you are in a highly complicated situation, there is no reason to quit your new job immediately. It’s advisable to take, if possible, about six months to adjust. Change is difficult and can be very uncomfortable. In most cases, employees manage to understand the workings of the company and therefore adapt to the change. 

 

When a considerable period of time has passed, more than half a year, for example, there is no reason to stay in the job. So look for something new and don’t look back.

 

Think about why you left your old job

 

It’s easy to forget the negative aspects of your old job when current circumstances are adverse. However, try to remember what your reasons were and think about whether you are really willing to return to those problems.

 

Analyze what you don’t like about your new job or company. Only then will you know for sure the source of your dissatisfaction. Either you still harbor fears about the change, or you really made the wrong decision.

 

Try to determine what exactly you don’t like about your new position. To do this, write down your concerns on a daily basis to find an answer. Ask yourself the following question, “Is the dissatisfaction I feel now greater than the dissatisfaction I felt in the previous job, company, or career?”

 

Find out if returning to your former position is an option

 

It’s very important to leave your former employer on good terms. Likewise, contact your former coworkers to find out how the current landscape is going. Find out if your former employer would allow you to return. The likelihood of returning is related to the size of your track record.

 

Identify your career goals and think about where they would best support you

 

Think about your future. When you understand your goals, you will be in a better position to make decisions about the changes you would like to make around your career, job, or company.

 

What to do if you don’t feel comfortable in your workplace: Have a conversation with your new employer

 

Discuss any concerns about your new job. You may need to clarify certain aspects of the overall scenario. So having a conversation with your new boss may change the way you look at the situation.

 

Focus on relationship building

 

Emphasize the importance of fostering strong bonds with your coworkers. Your new position is also an opportunity to make new relationships, i.e., nurture your network. Even if you are convinced to leave your new position, try to make the most of your stay and build new relationships.

 

What to do if you don’t feel comfortable in your workplace: Seek support

 

Talk to your closest friends, mentors, teachers, or anyone you trust, to whom you can tell all your doubts, in order to help you think and make your own decision.

 

Have an exit strategy

 

If you decide to return to your old job, be open and honest with your new employer about your reasons. Put yourself in the latter’s shoes and remember that a hire takes time and money.

 

What to do if you don’t feel comfortable in your workplace: Don’t burn bridges

 

You never know. You may want to return to this job or company at some point in the future.

 

After months of intense searching and many interviews, you finally found your dream job, but after a few weeks, you still feel lost. Be mindful of your actions.

 

Be patient and ask questions

 

Maybe you’re not dealing with the tasks as fast as you expected, but it doesn’t necessarily mean you’re failing. Before you blame yourself for underperforming, sit down with your boss and align your expectations.

 

Remember that it’s totally normal to take time to adjust to new activities and that it’s human to make mistakes. Don’t get carried away by insecurities even if you have entered a new company with a great portfolio of professional experience. Each company works differently and learning their systems really takes time.

 

What to do if you don’t feel comfortable in your workplace: Demand more training

 

Demand may be a bit of a strong word but when you are in a new work environment, regardless of your past experiences, detailed training on your activities and duties is essential. This will make you feel less lost, and you will quickly understand all the processes of your team, avoiding possible mistakes.

 

Your performance depends not only on you but also on whoever hires you. Investing in training means increasing the quality of service provided by employees.

 

Use your colleagues as a resource

 

The more time you spend with them, the more knowledgeable you will become about the dynamics of the company. Don’t be afraid to talk to colleagues and ask for information on issues you feel left out or lost about. This conversation can come up informally over lunch or happy hour or during work hours, just introduce yourself and ask for the person’s opinion.

 

It’s even better if you already have a rapport with someone. This way you can be frank about those issues that are not totally clear to you about the company. Sharing experiences will always be beneficial to both sides of the conversation.

 

It doesn’t matter what stage of your career you’re at. Starting a new job can be challenging, and it’s totally natural to feel lost and even make mistakes. The way to solve this problem is to be willing to learn and focus on getting better.

 

What happens when you realize right at the start that the job is not for you? Should you give it a chance? For how long? When should you give up? Assuming that it’s not easy and that your instinct plays a key role at this crossroads, here is a six-step process to get you back on track when you think you’ve taken the wrong job.

 

What to do if you don’t feel comfortable in your workplace: Remind yourself that you can leave

 

Legally, you can leave the job at any time. It’s another thing if you don’t think you can (because you can’t afford it financially or because it’s against your work ethic to quit so soon), but technically you can. 

 

It’s not that we are encouraging you to quit prematurely, but we feel it’s necessary to remind you because part of the anxiety you feel may come from feeling trapped or feeling that you don’t have options. And the truth is that you do, and that’s why you can leave. Even if you decide to stay for the moment, remind yourself of that power.

 

Rethink the situation every three months for the first year

 

Now that you have decided to give the position a chance, focus 100 percent on the job for at least three months. After that time, reflect and give yourself another three months to rethink your situation. But once you’ve decided whether you’re going to stay or go, give it your all during that time and don’t waste energy unnecessarily eating your heart out. Do it that way during your first year in the company, because a month or two is not enough time to know if you really fit in. 

 

Focus on feeling comfortable during the first few months, because the inevitable awkward feeling of starting out in something you’re not proficient in can cloud good opportunities, so keep an open mind. Of course, this benefit of the doubt should end as soon as you have indications of illegal behavior or behavior that doesn’t fit with your values: there is no remedy for that.

 

Try to identify the source of your dissatisfaction

 

The only way to improve your situation is to clearly identify what makes you feel uncomfortable in your new position. The result of this search may end up looking for another job but, even if you finally decide to leave, it’s important that you know what went wrong so that you can avoid it next time. 

 

What to do if you don’t feel comfortable in your workplace: Whose fault is it?

 

This step is the most intuitive. Be honest with yourself and ask yourself whose fault is it. Is it yours, for resigning yourself to a job you didn’t want out of necessity or convenience? Is it the company’s or someone else’s, for breaking their promises?

 

Prepare yourself financially for a possible departure

 

Being able to afford to leave your job is the best way to make the right decision for you. Resist the temptation to splurge and start saving while you make your decision. If you finally decide to stay, you’ll be able to use that money to go on vacation anyway.

 

What to do if you don’t feel comfortable in your workplace: Start looking for another job

 

Stay active on LinkedIn, InfoJobs, or Jobandtalent and keep signing up for job openings. Maybe you’ll find something that will take away all your doubts about staying or leaving.