We start getting tired of our jobs at age 35, according to new research.
There’s a number of factors to blame – the stress that comes with high-ranking jobs, the disappointment that comes with not having achieved what you’d hoped and a desire to look after children. Human resource firm Robert Half UK surveyed 2,000 people and found that one in six British workers over age 35 said they were unhappy—more than double the number for those under 35.
“There comes a time when either you haven’t achieved success, work has burned you out, or lived experience tells you family is more important,” said Professor Cary Cooper, a workplace researcher at Manchester Business School. “You ask yourself: ‘What am I doing this for?'”
One third of those aged over 35 found their job stressful, while only a quarter of 18-35 year olds said they dealt with workplace stress.
So how to combat the ennui? Professor Cooper says it’s important to make friends in the workplace and find the time for a few after-work drinks. He also said finding a personal project at work can help refocus the mind.
The good news is that people over the age of 35 think that they’re using their skills more – only 38 percent of millennials said they’re able to be creative at work, compared to 68 percent of 35-54 year olds. Over 35s are also more likely to feel that they have more freedom and more influence, both of which contribute to greater workplace happiness.
From: ELLE UK
