Job satisfaction

WORK consumes a huge amount of our lives — about 16 years in total if you work full-time and live until you’re 70 — and yet growing numbers of us struggle through our days, moaning and generally feeling dissatisfied with our lot.

Studies on work satisfaction show that over the past 20 years some people have become increasingly unhappy for a variety of reasons, including long working hours, job uncertainty and, for younger people, a higher expectation of what work should provide.

“We put a huge amount of energy — around 80% — into work and rely on it for a large chunk of self-esteem, so it can have a significant effect on our wellbeing and sense of fulfilment if we’re not doing the right job or feel dissatisfied with a career choice,” says John Lees, author of How To Get A Job You’ll Love.