If you’re reading this, there is a hefty chance that you've asked yourself the question of why to change your job. Whether you’re dreaming of a complete overhaul into a new field or just want to change companies, these sorts of life-altering decisions rarely come easily to any of us.

After all, if they were, there wouldn’t be entire industries dedicated to reversing corporate burnout and job dissatisfaction! Many employers now use surveys and exit interview questions to gain data to help them to reduce unwanted employee attrition. 

I started thinking about leaving my former career as a corporate attorney a little over two years ago and, when I look back on it now, there were some tell-tale signs of what was to come. 

Did I recognize it at the time? Of course not. But some conversations with fellow corporate drop-outs have led me to believe that these signs are pretty darn universal. So, if you’re experiencing any of these hints yourself, it just might be time to make a change:

You’ve Spent All of Your Sick Days (and it’s only June)

You're thinking about taking time off work, but you've already spent all the sick days? Time for a change!

This was a big one for me personally: my job was making me physically and mentally sick. I didn’t recognize it at first, but I was using up almost all of my time off in a little over a few months just to get some time and space away from the job I hated.

So, unless you’ve undergone major surgery or are dealing with a very serious illness, I’m going to tell it like it is: no, it’s not normal that you’ve called in sick 7 out of the last 30 work days. And it's yet another thing to consider when asking yourself why to change your job.

The Only Thing Worse Than Monday’s Are Sunday’s

While working as a lawyer, I was introduced to something the kids are calling “the Sunday Scaries.” 

Essentially, the Sunday Scaries is a term used to describe that dreaded feeling that hits at around 8:00 p.m. on Sunday evening when you come to the startling realization that tomorrow is Monday and you have to go back to work. 

While an occasional bout of Sunday Scaries is only natural, feeling this way week after week is a sign that you’re dreading your job all the time and is one another reason on why to change your job.

You Complain…A Lot

Learn how to stop complaining and start living the life you want for yourself!

God bless my friends and family for putting up with me in the months immediately preceding my decision to leave the law. Why?

Because I was a pretty miserable human during that time, that’s why. If you catch yourself complaining to your coworkers every second of the work day and then re-living that same narrative to your loved ones when you come home, stop. Please. We’re begging you. 

Read more: How You Can Quit Your Job and Start Living

Stop and explore some other options (before your friends and loved ones start ignoring your calls and texts). 

Your Family and Friends Are Worried

Along those same lines, it might be time to consider the question of why to change your job if those same friends and family members that you’re complaining to day in and day out gently bring this behavior to your attention. 

We like to think that we’re all just islands of solitude, but the reality is that the people we surround ourselves with every day usually have a way of seeing our true selves better than we can. 

You Think Your Work is Pointless

I once dated a guy, let’s call him Brad, who worked as the manager of a Bath & Body Works. Now to most self-respecting and career-aspirational gals out there, a nearly 30-something man that sells lotions and shower gel can be a pretty big turn-off. 

And while our love just wasn’t destined in the stars, Brad taught me a crucial lesson: the passion for your work is important. The way Brad talked about his hourly day job, you’d think he was some Assistant VP at Facebook or something. 

Seriously, he loved it. It was his passion. And I have to hand it to him; Brad was pretty darn good at what he did. 

I share this anecdote from my dating past simply to say that if you aren’t as excited as Brad was about Vanilla-scented candles in your own career, something’s up and it might be time to switch gears a bit (or, at a minimum, treat yourself to a DIY spa night while you mull it all over…).

Your After-Work and Weekend Schedule is Packed

One of the things that got me thinking about quitting my job was my schedule and how the free time was spent "running away" from work.

One of the biggest signs that you truly despise your current occupation is the ways in which you spend your time away from the office. 

Sure, we all love the occasional weekend getaway and after-work drinks with friends, but when your calendar starts looking like the social schedule from a cruise ship, something’s up. 

In the two months immediately before leaving the law, I had something “fun” planned nearly every single day when I wasn’t at work. Why? To escape my job. Newsflash: that thing you’re spending upwards of 40 hours per week of your life doing? You shouldn’t need to escape it all the time. 

If you are, it’s time to ask yourself why to change your job.

You Find Yourself Searching for Articles Like This

Looking for a career change, and your main source of ideas are Google searchs with the similar keywords? You know that it's time for a change then!

And finally, if you stumbled upon this article by typing why to change your job into Google or some other similar search, something is up. 

Subconsciously, your brain is desperately trying to find another option and, on some level, you’re entertaining the idea of leaving your current job. 

Read more: Some Freelance Business Ideas To Get You On Your Feet

If this is the case, congratulations! You are one step closer to a livelihood that actually makes you smile and isn’t the cause of a dreaded Sunday night slump.

Listen to your gut and go for it; trust me, a year from now you will be so glad that you did!