Ms Fiona Buckland, coach and author of Thoughtful Leadership, says that many of us could be risking what she calls the “frying-pan-to-fire syndrome” – being too quick to jump ship at the first sign of trouble at work.

“Leaping from one job to another to get away from an uncomfortable situation, in the hope that it will offer the change you want, without considering if the new career, place, leadership, mission and environment is in alignment with your values is exhausting,” she says.

You may just take the difficulty with you into a new role. Changing career can avoid challenging personal work. What might need to change about you that may have unconsciously created this situation?

It may be better to accept that no job is perfect and consider a way of navigating the current difficulty or frustration you’re struggling with, which could lead to a better outcome over time.

“When you are in the midst of crisis, it is impossible to think clearly,” says business psychologist and author Dr Susan Kahn. “It’s important to avoid making significant decisions like quitting your job because you are feeling overwhelmed in that moment.”

“Your early forties is a natural point of reflection in your career,” says Ms Kellie McSorley, a leading London-based head hunter in the fashion and luxury sector. “Around this age, you have put in the hours, built your reputation and established yourself as a respected expert in your field with measurable achievements supporting your value.

“It’s normal to feel you’ve reached a plateau at this point and feel the urge for something that will reinvigorate and inspire you as the ‘building phase’ of your career once did,” she says. “That doesn’t necessarily mean it’s time for a complete career change, however. A slight pivot in direction within your current company may be enough to satisfy your urge for change.”

With all the uncertainty and disruption to our working lives that we have all been navigating over the past two-plus years, it’s hardly surprising many of us feel we need to change jobs to find the solid ground we’re currently missing.

Of the people looking to change their careers, 40 per cent are motivated by higher salaries, which is why training is often necessary to make ourselves more valuable to employers. But retraining inevitably comes with its own hurdles – not least time and money.

When I became a psychotherapist after 20 years as a journalist, for instance, it took me five years of expensive study and personal therapy while living on a reduced salary. There were moments in my training when I regretted the path I’d taken as fears about my future and money worries occasionally swept over me. Yet, like many challenges in life, I now see the struggle was worth it. I have the daily satisfaction of a thriving freelance career.

“In my experience, people tend to underestimate the time and effort required to build a new career,” says McSorley. “When you change career you need to think about the time it took to get you where you are today. You are older, wiser and better connected now so it may not take quite as long but as Malcolm Gladwell states in his book The Outliers, it takes 10,000 hours of practice to gain expertise in a new area. You also have to factor in the cost and salary implications of retraining,” she adds.

Despite these challenges, or perhaps because of them, those of us who do make a positive career change have the confidence-boosting satisfaction of having taken a significant risk and found success on the other side.

“Finding the ‘why?’ behind you do what you do is about identifying your purpose,” says Mr Dan Rookwood, former US Editor at MR PORTER, who has had multiple careers all over the world. Inspired by the work of Mr Simon Sinek, the author and motivational speaker, Rookwood thinks our happiness comes from what we do while our deeper fulfilment at work comes from why we do what we do.

At heart, we find satisfaction and meaning at work when we can see our work either providing relief from suffering or offering pleasure to other people. This is why healthcare workers and entertainers who may be poorly paid invariably score highly on job satisfaction rates. They draw fulfilment, seeing the tangible beneficial impact of their work on others.

When we connect the dots in our new career between being useful to others and our engagement, we will find deeper satisfaction in what we do.

“Your long-term fulfilment at work is important for you and those around you,” says Mr Billy Soulis, a philosopher and teacher at Mr Alain de Botton’s The School of Life. “Carving out a career that is aligned with your passions and interests is one of the most gratifying and meaningful endeavours you can ever pursue.”

Before any career change, it’s smart to take modest actions like signing up to an evening class in a relevant topic. Or ask an acquaintance who’s doing that job that you’ve always thought you’d love if you can shadow them for a day during your holidays to really get a sense of what it’s all about.

“You need to ask yourself these important questions,” McSorley says. “Which of your current connections will help you? What are the new qualifications you need to get? Also, what will your starting salary likely be in your new industry and how long will it take to build up to meet your current earnings again?”

Dipping our toes in the water of career change without giving up the day job may be less headline grabbing than a seat-of-your-pants resignation, but it may just save you years of regret. By stepping into a new environment of work experience or study, we’re giving ourselves an immersive experience that no amount of day dreaming or fantasy will ever provide.

It could be as simple as starting a new conversation. “Don’t be afraid to reach out to people that are doing what you’d like to be doing and ask them to share their story,” Soulis says. “In my experience, people are more forthcoming than you might think and the insights they will share are priceless. It’s very likely you haven’t nearly factored in everything that will come with this new career.”