Working in a job where you feel underused?

[Sparklybutold]

Currently working in a role where I know my skills and knowledge are massively underused. 3 months in and it's really hard. I had a meeting today and effectively was advised to simplify my language. I'm working this role owing to the cost of living crisis combined with my retraining costs in another field. Not helped by the fact I work in a sector which is massively underpaid and undervalued.

I am finding that I develop a headache/tummy upset when I'm at work. I leave feeling utterly shit and just a huge failure.

Any advice on how to cope with this? Especially from those in similar positions.

Following.

Not exactly in this position but I’m in the process of being demoted in terms of responsibility (pay remaining the same). I’m equally stressed having skills I’ve honed over years being considered unnecessary. I was signed off work recently, and this formed part of the reason. I’m not actually sure I can fulfill my role when all the responsibilities are removed tbh and I’ll be bored out of my mind. It’s so demoralising! The only solace I have at the moment is that “quiet quitting” is an option and I’ll have less work for the same money (although equally you could argue I’ve been underpaid the 3 years I’ve worked there). I’ll leave when I can but currently pregnant so they have me over a barrel, there’s only 2 of us being demoted and the other is on maternity leave… a coincidence? I think not…

Go and work for the person on here that was complaining that her team don't do any work and call in sick with anxiety or because they have a PT session. ;)

Change how you view it. This is not your career, this is a temporary thing. See it as a brain vacation while you nurture your brain in the retraining part and study. If it pays well, just be happy about that.Try to see the positives. It's an important skill to know how to speak to different audience and to be able to use simple language is actually more useful and impressive if you are ever going to speak to laymen and customers. You might leave as a more rounded person having experienced a workplace you wouldn't naturally gravitate towards. i hope it doesn't sound patronising, you just really have to see the positives instead of feeling hard done by and making yourself sick.
Fuck it, it's just a job it's not worth your health. DO what you need get out of it what you need and move on. It's not for the rest of your life.

I'm in pretty much the same position, and find I just have to keep focussing on why I am doing the job and reminding myself that part of that reason, and part of why it works is the ability to do the job and walk away. I work compressed hours and so my involvement with work is done and dusted over a 48hr period of my week - and that's what I wanted. The remaining 120 hours of the week are my own, and that's what I wanted.
To utilise my qualifications and experience in this job would mean giving over much more headspace than I wish to give at this stage in my life.

@Frankenstina

Really useful advice - thankyou

@PurBal have you heard of the charity pregnant then screwed?