5 Questions To Ask When Something Just Doesn't Feel Right

Two of the most memorable times I felt unsure about my path in life were when I was working in an unfulfilling job as an attorney and during a relationship that was wrong for me. Although the job and relationship differed greatly, the pattern of discomfort was the same.

Everything was perfect on paper, making it easy to convince myself and others that everything was fine. Tough, but fine. But there was always a little voice that chided, “Keep looking.”

Something just felt—off.

In both situations, I lived out the confusion, clumsily and painfully, until it became clear that something must be done.

For me, in both cases, that meant leaving. But before I came to that conclusion, I was hung up on what to do about that "off" feeling.

Now that I'm on the other side, I'm sharing five questions that made it a little easier to figure out how to deal when things didn't feel right, in case they can help you do the same.

Identify the players. Are you really unhappy at your job, or does one co-worker get under your skin? Is your relationship not right, or are you just not getting one of your needs met? Be clear on what is really bothering you.

In this expression “Something feels off,” we tend to focus on the "something," i.e. how can that person, place, or thing act differently? But this is about how you feel. Things will always occur externally, but ultimately understanding your feelings leads to the greatest insight.

Take some time to hone in on what exactly it is that this other thing makes you feel, and why that feeling is making you uncomfortable. Talking to a trusted friend or therapist can be helpful here.

Complaining about how difficult things are only perpetuates the feeling of "offness". Reminding yourself of your agency and choices can put the power back into your hands and help you be more objective.

Start by recognizing your alternatives, whether that’s leaving, voicing your concerns, or altering circumstances. Think about them or write them down in a journal to generate some more perspective on possible next steps that you could take.

In the midst of confusion over leaving my job, I asked a friend when she knew it was time to quit her position. Her response: “When my alarm went off one morning and the first thing I did was cry.”

For my friend, deeply dreading weekdays and crying frequently outweighed benefits, salary, and security. That was my friend’s definition of the cons outweighing the pros. What's your definition?

When we feel that nagging, it's human nature to want to resolve it immediately. But often the lesson is to get comfortable with the ambiguity and uncertainty. When we can sit and rest with the discomfort for a little bit, we might find it's easier to eventually take steps towards something greater.