Question: Dear Hope+Wellth, I’m not happy with my job. it’s demanding, the expectations are unrealistic, and I find myself not having time or the desire to do much of anything after work. I’ve communicated my concerns to my boss, but I haven’t seen any changes that will help me do my job without feeling totally drained after work. It’s seriously effecting my mental health and I’m not sure what else I can do besides quit. However, I need the money. What should I do?

Answer: First, let me commend you for being open and willing to have that conversation with your boss. Kudos to you! I would first like to ask you several questions and I would encourage you to reflect on those answers. What was it about your current role that you were initially attracted to? You told me what you don’t like about your job, now tell me what you do like, if anything? Do you enjoy the organization, but you just aren’t happy with your role? What would it take for you to feel happy at your job? What tools can your boss offer you that will put you in a position where you feel like you can thrive at your job? What were your long-term plans for this role when you accepted the opportunity? Are you looking at your role as a job or are you looking at it as a career with the intention of moving up? When you spoke with your supervisor, did you tell him or her what is important to you and did you include possible solutions? For example, will hiring additional staff, delegating more or additional training be helpful? Remember, this is about communication and compromise, so be realistic with your suggestions. Once you’ve answered the questions and come up with suggestions, I would encourage you to have another clear conversation with your supervisor. Give him or her some time to think about your suggestions and set a firm follow up date. After meeting again to go over the suggestions, you should be able to determine if the changes being offered will help you thrive in your role, and more importantly, if it will help improve your mental well-being. Or, if the changes are not what you need to thrive, you’ll have a decision to make. Sometimes that decision might be moving on from your job and stepping into your happiness somewhere else.