How to Get Your Career Back on Track When You’ve Hit a Rough Patch

We’ve all been there — that awkward stage in life when it feels like the universe nudged (or shoved) us off the treadmill and into the metaphorical ball pit of confusion. One minute you’re on track, the next you’re wondering why your professional life resembles a slightly chaotic rom-com montage. But take heart: rough patches are not derailments. They’re more like… unexpected intermissions with free snacks. Yes, you can get your career back on track — with clarity, confidence, and a pinch of optimism.

Let’s talk about how.

Know What You’re Facing: Rough Patch vs Career Crisis

Before you start drawing pie charts or drastic exit plans, it’s worth understanding what you’re actually dealing with. According to Core Confidence, a “rough patch” is a tough, but situational, bump in the road — like a big project, tight deadlines, or a boundary-creep from work that has you feeling stretched. The key sign? You still see light at the end of the tunnel.

But if you’re running on empty, disengaged, and have tried countless fixes with no change — that could be a deeper career crisis rather than a simple slump.

Why this matters: If you can recognise that what you’re experiencing is a temporary challenge instead of a permanent derailment, you’ll feel less panicked and more capable of navigating your way forward.

Let Yourself Feel (But Don’t Stay There)

Telling yourself to “just get over it” rarely works. According to Forbes contributor Dr Tracy Brower, allowing yourself to reflect on what went wrong — and honestly acknowledging the emotions involved — is a critical step in recovering from a setback.

This isn’t wallowing — it’s emotional processing with purpose. Reflect on what happened, what you could have done differently, and what you can learn from it. Not only does this help you grow, it strengthens resilience — your career comeback muscle.

Reframe the Narrative: You’re Not Broken, You’re Learning

Here’s a quirky yet powerful brain trick: instead of saying “I failed”, say “I learned something invaluable.” When you reframe setbacks as useful information, you’re less likely to feel defeated and more likely to feel empowered by insight.

Creative Boom discusses how going through difficult periods can help you rediscover strengths and weaknesses in yourself — and that’s essential for rebuilding confidence after life throws you a curveball.

This shift — from “failure” to “feedback” — is like upgrading your internal operating system to a growth-minded version.

Stay Connected — With Supportive People

Feeling alone after a career rough patch can amplify self-doubt. Brower’s Forbes article highlights that connecting with close friends, colleagues, mentors or confidants not only eases isolation, it deepens relationships — and creates opportunities for support, understanding and even future career openings.

Don’t wait for someone to reach out — start the conversation. You might be surprised how many people have been exactly where you are and come out the other side stronger.

Take Small Actions That Create Momentum

Big changes begin with small steps. Brower points out that taking action — even little actions — is crucial to recovering and rebuilding after a career setback.

Update that CV, polish your LinkedIn headline, book a coffee with a mentor, attend a webinar — you don’t need to leap into a whole new career overnight. These micro-wins help rebuild your confidence, boost your morale and set you up for bigger strides.

Action builds confidence, and confidence builds action. It’s a wonderfully virtuous cycle.

Build Your Confidence Back Up

Confidence can feel fragile after a tough patch, but Creative Boom’s write-up on reclaiming confidence emphasises that recovering self-belief is both possible and practical.

Some powerful ideas from that article include:

• Accept that perfection doesn’t exist — which instantly lifts pressure off unrealistic expectations.

• Unplug from negative triggers (like social media comparison).

• Push yourself gently out of your comfort zone — because growth and confidence live on the edges of familiarity.

  
  

Confidence isn’t something you magically find — it’s something you build through small challenges and incremental wins.

Stay Optimistic, But Realistically So

Optimism doesn’t mean ignoring reality or pretending everything is rainbows and unicorns. In the Forbes article, staying optimistic is framed not as toxic positivity, but as maintaining motivation while being honest about what happened.

Optimism fuels action. It helps you wake up and crack on with your plans — even on days when you’d rather pull the duvet over your head and binge-watch feel-good movies.

Let Go of What Isn’t Serving You

A rough patch can leave old dreams feeling shattered or heavy. But letting go of what isn’t working is a central theme in Brower’s framework for rebuilding: you’ll be more likely to succeed when you acknowledge the issue and move forward instead of clinging to frustrations.

This doesn’t mean forgetting the past — it means learning from it without letting it define you.

Reconnect With Your Purpose and Strengths

A rough patch often masks your strengths behind stress and doubt. Take the time to reflect on what energises you: tasks that make you lose track of time, values that matter most, skills that make you feel confident. When you orient your next steps around these, you tap into both motivation and fulfillment.

Creative Boom points out that adversity teaches you about yourself — including what lights you up and what drains you — and these insights can shape your next move.

Celebrate the Progress — Even Tiny Wins

You don’t need to conquer the world today. Celebrate what you have achieved — no matter how small. Finished a LinkedIn update? Great. Booked a coffee with a mentor? Brilliant. Reframed one negative thought into a positive insight? That’s progress.

These moments of acknowledgment strengthen your sense of accomplishment and resilience — the true backbone of any career comeback story.

Your Rough Patch Is a Plot Twist — Not the Ending

If your career has hit a rough patch, that’s not the end of your story — it’s the beginning of a wiser, braver chapter. You don’t need perfection or certainty to move forward. You need curiosity, courage, connection and a willingness to take one small step at a time.

From reframing your narrative and reflecting honestly, to seeking connection, taking action, and rebuilding confidence — every step you take matters. This is your comeback. And yes — it can be quirky, joyful and utterly transformative.

Ready to Get Your Career Back on Track?

If this article has struck a chord, that’s not by accident. Rough patches have a way of nudging us towards change — but you don’t have to navigate that change alone.

Working with a career coach gives you space to pause, reflect and rebuild with clarity and confidence. Together, we can untangle what’s really going on, reconnect you with your strengths, and create a practical, realistic plan to move forward — at your pace, in a way that works for your life.

If you’re ready to stop feeling stuck and start feeling empowered again, I’d love to help.

👉 Book a free, no-pressure discovery call to explore what support might look like for you 👉 Or get in touch to find out how career coaching could help you regain confidence, direction and momentum.

Your rough patch doesn’t define you — but how you respond to it could change everything.

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