What to Do When You Hate Your Job

Summary: There are things you can do each day to help make a bad circumstance better. Having a job you hate more than anything is never fun but it can be bearable.

Quite often we have a job at some point in our lifetime that we just hate. The people may be great but the type of work was killer or vice versa. There are many factors that can ruin a job like commute length, amount of hours worked each week, or an unsupportive boss. Here are some ways you can deal with a job you can’t stand going to each day:

• Venting doesn’t help. It may feel better at the moment to criticize and complain with co-workers but it just leaves you feeling more miserable. You may be building a better relationship with your co-workers by letting off steam but there is a good chance you have never walked away from the conversation feeling better about things.
• Determine what is making you hate the job. Once you know what exactly it is about the job that you hate whether it is your boss, lack of a challenge, stress, overall culture, or whatever else, then you know what to work on. Some things you can change, although your boss you probably can’t change.
• Shift your attitude. Changing your attitude can go a long way to improve the situation. Remind yourself that things could always be worse.
• Be positive. Make the things you enjoy about your job a priority. For instance, if it’s the people you work with that make you keep going to work each day, make an effort to spend more time with them at work during lunch and other breaks.
• Take your breaks; they are a time to refresh your mind and body. Being able to step away from your desk for even a short amount of time can give you some needed energy to get through the rest of the day.
• Keep your work at the office, don’t bring it home. The moment you walk out the office doors, leave your stress and negativity about the job there. Bringing all that negativity home with you will make your home a negative place as well.
• Focus on the things that bring you happiness. Your job doesn’t have to define who you are. Spend the time that you aren’t at work doing things you love.
• Find another job. If your job is so bad that you can’t imagine going back each day, then start searching for a new one. Complaining and sulking around isn’t going to change things. Until you find a better job, try to make this one work.

Photo: liveboldandbloom.com