Get unstuck at work: ACT Approach
Maybe your current role isn’t for you or could be for you if things were different. Either way, if you stay stuck too long, your confidence to initiate the changes you’d like will evaporate like early morning mist when your day hots up.
So, what can you do if you’re stuck?
The ACT Approach – take control of your situation
The solution to discontent is to A-C-T!
Alternatives | generate options
Connections | tap into positive inputs
Thinking | reconnect with the real you
If you want to move forward, the ACT Approach will help you get going in a positive direction.
A is for your Alternatives
Similar to a bad relationship, often, the reason for staying in an unhappy work situation is you’re unable to see alternatives.
As you try to find a way out, analysis paralysis can take hold of you. Maybe you fall into binary thinking, where the only options you see are to stay put or escape by winning next week’s lottery. Or maybe you generate loads of options and get stuck in an endless cycle of thinking. We’ve been there and tried that!
A good place to start is to spend a few minutes sizing up the problem.
How is it affecting me?
How long has it lasted?
How long is it likely to last?
How might I mitigate it?
What role am I playing in this situation?
Is there a pattern?
Remember that you have moved beyond challenging moments before and can do so again. So often, our thinking keeps us stuck. As Daniel Kahneman put it, “Nothing in life is as important as you think it is while you are thinking about it.” Very often, our feelings drive our thinking, and looking at the situation with fear is like examining an ant under a microscope for so long you forget you are 750x bigger than it is.
Always remember you have more options than to do nothing, leave or wait for your lottery numbers to come in. Push yourself to produce at least ten variable solutions, big or small. Again, doing this with a trusted companion will halve the time and effort. Here’s a starter for ten:
Accept the issue and do nothing else.
Think differently about it and do nothing else.
Implement a constructive coping strategy.
Set a deadline for waiting and see whether it improves. Then act.
Talk to a senior about it.
Talk to other people who have the power to help with the issue.
Increase your power and neutralise the issue.
Adjust your role, for example, job content or hours.
Look at alternative roles within the organisation.
Look at alternative roles outside the organisation.
Risk of doing nothing
Get stuck in a negative situation with a downward spiral.
Act impulsively on emotion or out of fear.
C is for your Connections
If you’re stuck in the Alternative options stage, then paying attention to these three key connections will pay dividends:
Your positive inputs – connecting with people, places, and anything else that makes you happy is essential. To be listened to by just one positive, honest and trustworthy person can transform a situation.
The risky strategy? Isolating ourselves and hunkering down, doing nothing about deep-rooted issues from our past that are playing out today.
Your feelings – don’t worry hard-nosed types, we’re not talking about anything weird. Feelings are data and tell-tale signs – that often drive our thinking. We can exhaust ourselves pretending that we are happy and all is fine, but what’s the point of not being honest with ourselves?
The risky strategy? To pretend you’re a machine (maybe you work somewhere where they praise you for that?) and live in denial, pushing away uncomfortable feelings. Believe me, they will not pass - they will fester and cause you problems.
Your purpose and values – does work align with what truly matters to you, or does it feel meaningless? We spend so much time either at work or thinking about it we can lose connection with who we are and what is important to us. The days may be long, but years pass in the blink of an eye. And who knows how many of them we’ll have.
The risky strategy? Not feeling it’s the right time to take action. The truth is it’s always the right time to make sure we are making the most of our time and living a work-life we feel good about.
Risk of doing nothing?
Let your defensive instincts get the better of you and isolate yourself from everyone, including the people who care and make a difference.
Disconnecting from feelings in order to battle on. There’s an immediate price to pay for that – and a bigger one down the road.
T is for your Thinking
If, after generating Alternatives and making the most of your Connections, you remain stuck, then work may not be the root issue. Could your work problem be actually a problem with your thinking?
Thoughts like these are like chains:
“I can’t do anything else.”
“It’s the same everywhere.”
“I have friends here.”
“I can’t let people down.”
“It’ll be better when [I’ve survived the project, been promoted, person X leaves, I eat more kale...]”
“I have to do this for money.”
“I’m too busy.”
“They will retaliate.”
Here are two common themes for sustained negative thinking:
You have given away your power – maybe you don’t have low self-esteem or low confidence, but you always seem to put your wants and needs second anyway. You are dancing to someone else’s tune. How might you benefit by taking back control? How might you benefit from taking a look at what’s driving this? There are people out there who are experts at unpacking those issues.
You are unwell – hemmed in by fear, anxiety, depression or exhaustion. It may be time to check in on your mental health with a specialist.
Risk of doing nothing?
To over or underthink about your situation.
To end up at the bottom of a slippery slope.
If your thinking has been in the same cycle for a long time – let’s say six months – then maybe it is time to take action. What have you got to lose?
If you have been chewing things over for a long time, talking it over with someone quick to listen and slow to advise will help.
Crunch time
Whatever you’re going through, you’ve shown real resilience to get to this point in your job, and that’s something to feel good about. To help you move forward, use the ACT Approach in your own time to assess your situation.
As a final thought, the ACT Approach by no means assumes that the right answer for you is to leave your job. You may realise that the problem is not so bad or devise a plan to move forward - that would be a great outcome.
To state the obvious, we don’t know your situation and our resources are not a substitute for professional advice. You are responsible for your actions. Also, unless explicitly stated otherwise, all characters or situations are fictional. Full detail is in the Website Terms.
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