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We’ve all been there. Nothing at work seems to be going right. Your projects aren’t exciting and you feel underappreciated at work. But it’s not time to turn in your resignation letter; it’s time for a different set of actions.

First get a hold of your emotions as best you can.

“If you’re feeling unappreciated at work, chances are your emotions are also running high. You may feel depressed, frustrated, angry, exhausted, or everything all at once…But you have to maintain your composure on the job or people will quickly lose respect for you no matter what the circumstances,” reports Untemplater.com. “So if you feel like you’re about to explode or burst into tears, take a walk outside and get away from everything for 5-to-10 minutes to cool down.”

Put your bottled-up energies into another project–or another person. Mentor someone. Mentoring a junior executive within your company can re-energize your own work.  “If you have a number of years of experience in your field, you can increase your job satisfaction by passing along your experience to employees who are newer to the organization. There is fulfillment in helping others, and mentoring other employees can make your time at your current job more enjoyable,” certified career coach Cheryl E. Palmer, owner of  Call to Career, tells MadameNoire.

Go back to school. Being in a learning environment can be exciting. “Use a company-sponsored tuition reimbursement program to your advantage. If your company offers tuition reimbursement, take classes that will enhance your resume. You might consider getting a certification in your field since certifications have become very common in many fields. If you do not yet have an advanced degree, you might consider using the tuition reimbursement program to obtain that degree to increase your marketability,” says Palmer.

Be a better co-worker. Reach out more to your fellow employees. Also take stock of your relationships within the office. Do you treat everyone with courtesy? “Have you stopped to think if you’ve been a lousy coworker lately? How you interact and communicate with your colleagues could have something to do with why you’re feeling unappreciated at work. When was the last time you held the door for someone, said hi in the hallway, or used ‘please’ and ‘thank you’ in your emails and conversations?” reports Untemplater.com. Taking the initiative to have a better attitude and be a better neighbor — without becoming the office go-to person for every little thing — could help highlight your other professional accomplishments.

Boost your personal life. Sometimes we get so caught up in work so when that area of life is going bad, it seems like all else in your world is as well. So re-balance the scales. “Cultivate a source of self-esteem and recognition outside work. Build yourself up before you get to work with healthy relationships and fulfillment in your personal life. Recognize that your job does not define you, so your joy cannot be tied to it,” certified professional coach Stephanie Barnes Taylor, CEO of The Fruition Group, tells us.

Maybe your work has become too routine. It could be time to take on more responsibility. “Make your job more challenging and fulfilling through creating new opportunities within your current job description. Commit to continuous improvement as a method of increasing marketability and personal growth. Use community service as a vehicle for building skills needed to make you more effective on the job. If there is not an opportunity to grow, create one through networking and relationship-building,” suggests Taylor.

So if changing the job isn’t the solution, try to bring a new “you” to work.

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