After 19 years, The Ellen Show is set to end, amidst a certain amount of controversy, and Ellen DeGeneres herself saying: “You may wonder why I’ve decided to end after 19 seasons. The truth is, I always trust my instincts. My instinct told me it’s time. As a comedian, I’ve always understood the importance of… timing.”

Even if you’re not on the telly, truly satisfying work is challenging and exciting, but when you’ve been working somewhere for a while, it’s all too easy to mentally stagnate. Or, you might just get that gut feeling it’s time to leave the party, while it’s still fun.

Thinking of changing jobs? Here are some other key, tell-tale signs it’s time to move on.

1. You can do it on autopilot

It’s not that you’re bad at your job, it’s just you’ve been through the motions so many times you reckon you could do the work in your sleep. Or at the very least, on a very bad hangover.

You’re such an expert in your field you’ve become the go-to person that new people in the company pester when they’re stuck on a logistical task. While it’s flattering people think you’re some kind of all-knowing oracle, being bothered with constant questions only adds to the irritation of the job.

2. You feel like part of the furniture

Sometimes it’s nice to have mileage at a job; you feel comfortable, within your depth and you’re never stressed about what the day might hold.

But recently you’ve been feeling demotivated and sluggish. You have the sinking sensation that time is escaping you and you’re struggling to find reasons why you enjoy doing what you do…

3. You count down the hours until lunchtime

Time seems to pass that little bit slower these days. Is it just you, or do the minutes seem to creep by at a snail’s pace?

You try not to be a clock watcher, but the work itself is so tedious, the majority of your day is invariably spent glancing at your watch and counting down the minutes until you can pack up and leave.

4. You’re thinking about setting up a side-hustle

You’ve been working hard on helping your company grow and succeed for years, but now you’re distracted by the idea of setting up your own yoga business, running away to Bali and seeing out your days doing downward dog in a jungle.

You can’t help but enviously scroll through other entrepreneurs’ Instagram feeds, wondering if you’ve done life all wrong – and whether it’s too late to hit the panic button and start all over again.

5. Work doesn’t feel like a part of your identity

When your friends ask how work is going, you grunt a simple, ‘Yeah, fine,’ and move on.

You don’t mean to be rude, but the truth is, you have nothing to say. Once you’ve physically clocked off from work, you’ve mentally checked out too, and you don’t want to spend any of your precious downtime talking about it.

6. You don’t feel valued

As Dolly Parton famously sang, ‘It’s all taking and no giving’, at your workplace.

You can’t help but feel as though the company culture has shifted since the long-lost days when you first started working there, and you’re not entirely sure if you’re happy with the new direction.

7. Everything annoys you

The way your colleague slurps their coffee, the irritatingly chirpy way your client signs off their emails, the customers that bother you with constant questions…

Work isn’t always smooth sailing and there are bound to be things that bother you – but if you’re getting exasperated by small and inconsequential things, it’s a good sign it’s time to look at what you really want to be doing, and where.