Why everyone just wants a 'dumb job' right now.

Ever daydream about another job? Something a little less stressful, more fun? Maybe you work inside and wish you were outside or vice versa.

A recent article from The Cut coined these 'dumb jobs', where you're done with your current job — because it's too hard or too stressful — and you just want something simpler.

Whilst you may not agree with the terminology, given every job has its fair share of complexities, a dumb job, let's call it a more easy-going job, can really be broken down into a thought process… that the 'dream' job is not what you thought it would be.

Landing the role you want or the pay you want, but it comes with bad hours, a toxic workplace and no boundaries, so you envy all the people around you with jobs perhaps perceived as easier.

The once seemingly idyllic perks now morph into cancelling social plans, leaving texts unread, unanswered phone calls, you're falling out of health and wellness routines, wondering if it was all worth it.

Watch: What is the real value of unpaid work? Post continues after video.

The Cut asks the question: what happens when you realise that everything you thought you wanted in a career is actually a mirage?

COVID was full of these realisations with big pivots in careers. In fact, the Australian Bureau of Statistics said the number of people switching careers has contributed to the highest rate of job movements since 2012.

What used to feel satisfying about working all hours of the day and night to get a project over the line has found people now shifting perspective, happy to take on a stable, predictable job or government job with strict nine-to-five hours with nothing to contribute to the mental load once they leave the office or walk away from the computer.

Sophie Hirst is the Founder and CEO of Workbaby, an online community for young professionals. She believes that the dumb job is looking for a little more simplicity and stability for an overall work-life balance. She says perhaps even calling something a dream job is part of the problem.

"I think the bigger and more interesting trend that this ['dumb job'] speaks to is that the perspective has sort of shifted for Gen Z, and I actually think for other generations too, from what we do for a living to how we want to live," Sophie told Mamamia's twice-daily news podcast, The Quicky. 

"People are asking themselves, is my job my whole life pie, or is it just a piece of my pie? And can I fill my self-esteem and value in other ways that aren't just my job?"

Sophie continues: "I think there is this growing recognition amongst people that they still want good, interesting jobs, but they don't want it to take over their life… I actually called this trend cosy ambition. You want a job and you want to be competent in your job, but you don't want to be in this constant state of pushing yourself all the time.

"You sort of just want to feel good at work and have some sense of calm and comfort."

Sophie says if you are feeling a bit crappy at work, there are a few things she recommends people do.

"You want to try and be proactive, not reactive," she said.

"So one, is just start to pay attention to when you feel unhappy and write it down — look for patterns. Is it related to certain people or certain activities? Could that actually change in your current role?

"If the answer is yes, then it's worth having that tough conversation with your manager. But the answer might be no… so then the next phase you want to put yourself in is an information-seeking phase, and this is where you're just gathering inputs that are going to help you make a decision."

Listen to the full conversation on Mamamia's twice-daily news podcast, The Quicky, here. Post continues after audio.

Okay, so maybe you've written the list Sophie suggests and there's a clear common denominator. I'm talking about the dreaded B word… burnout. What do you do to fix that and hopefully make your job a little easier again?

Shuktika Bose is a clinical psychologist, and she thinks burnout could be the cause of us seeking a 'dumb job'.

"When we think of burnout, it's almost like you want to imagine this balloon that sort of deflates over time. So burnout starts small, and we have those signs, like the irritability and that general sense of detachment is when things can become quite problematic," Shuktika said.

"So I would say that there is a difference between a sense of exhaustion and when, for example, we obtain some rest for ourselves and we're still not recharging that battery, that is when we know that there is some other stuff going on within the body and the mind that need to be addressed that may be connected to burnout."

So, how long is the recovery process for burnout?

"I think when it comes to recovery, there are so many different factors. There are a lot more of the systemic issues that we have to address alongside work pressures," Shuktika said.

"We have so many other pressures in our lives, and if we aren't able to make some changes long term to multiple aspects of our life, we will notice some of those feelings of exhaustion creeping right back in for us."

But there are some things you can do for it.

"One question that I will always ask my clients at the end of the session is, what's something you're going to do now? That's nice for you," Shuktika explains.

"And so it really encourages people to stop and ask themselves, what do I want to do, as opposed to what do I have to do?"

She adds: "Something I feel would be really beneficial for people, [is] to stop and actually ask, 'What's my body asking for right now?' and cutting aside some time to listen to what [it] is saying. Having that moment of reflection is really key."

So maybe it's not the job, the office, the hours, maybe you're burnt out, and that's why a dumb job is looking very appealing.

Feature image: Canva.