Have you ever been in the same job for a long time and felt like you were “stuck” and not progressing?

Before you hand in your resignation, maybe you should try job crafting. This is a work trend related to redesigning and placing your work in new contexts, in a way that is more aligned with your personal values ​​and capabilities.

This will allow you to benefit more from your daily working life and focus on those parts that you consider most satisfying.

Job crafting it is not a new concept. The term was coined in 2001 by dr. Amy Wrzesniewski and dr. Jane Dutton, who explained the term as “the physical and cognitive changes that individuals make to the tasks or boundaries of their work.”

Seeing people burn out professionally and give up seems more relevant than ever. “When you’re feeling frustrated with your job, it makes sense to think about what you could be doing and what your next role could be,” career expert Ayesha Murray tells Stylist.

“It may be more beneficial to reevaluate your current job and try to make it work for you.” Job crafting will help you assess whether your current job is a job you’d like to have in the long run, adds career expert Soma Ghosh.

So how can you try job crafting?

According to Wrzesniewski and Dutton, there are three stages:

The first it is that which relates to changing or modifying the type and range of tasks that make up your working day.

Take some time to think about the tasks you do, how much time they take, and how they make you feel. Are there tasks that are taking up more of your time than they really should? Have you realized which tasks are the ones you enjoy doing?

Sure, you don’t have absolute flexibility and you may not be able to avoid certain tasks. Beyond that, though, decide which tasks you’d like to focus on and ask your superior if you can do more of them.

The second stage it’s relational creation, which involves making changes about the people you interact with. This is not only about avoiding toxic colleagues, but also about strengthening your work ties with the people who can really help you develop. This may mean attending a meeting or doing something else that is not in your direct responsibility but can help you move forward.

The third stage it is related to cognitive change, which involves shifting the way you think about or interpret the tasks you do, taking into account the purpose of those tasks, but also how that purpose relates to your life in general.

This is arguably the hardest change you’ll need to manage—thinking about motivations and intentions requires digging a little deeper.

“First, remind yourself why you took this job in the first place,” suggests Murray. “What was it about the position, duties or company that won you over? Do you still feel the same way about these criteria? Or have you drifted away from those feelings and need to find a way back?

“Think about what’s important to you, both in terms of work-life balance and career development, and make sure those criteria are still met.

“Once you understand what you need to feel fulfilled, make a comparison between the job description and what you actually do. How big is the gap? What should you do to reduce it? Who do you need to talk to and what steps do you need to take to achieve a change?’

The result will be profitable for both you and your employer. You will regain your motivation and appetite for work, which will boost your productivity and commitment.

A 2021 study from the University of South Australia found that when employees had more control over how their role was shaped, they not only enjoyed their work more, but also performed better.