Working at a job that you hate totally sucks.
I spent two years working an office job that was not well suited for my personality.
I was constantly stressed out and counting down the days until the weekend. That job actually ended up giving me the push I needed to become a fulltime blogger but it took a while to build up enough income blogging that I could go parttime and then eventually quit.
While I was building my business I had to keep reporting to my day job day after day and I had to keep my depression and anxiety from spiraling out of control.
It was really difficult for me to manage my mental health at my old job but I learned some tricks that helped. If you hate your job I hope these tips help you too.
Choose Gratitude
It can be tough to be thankful for a job that you’re unhappy at. However, we can always choose to find things to be thankful for.
The truth is, the more you choose to look for the good in your situation the better you’ll feel in the long run. It’s easy to sit and dwell on everything you don’t like about your job but how is that going to make you feel?
Even if you hate your job there are things about it you can be thankful for. Be thankful it allows you to pay your bills, fund your side-hustle or any aspects of your job that you like.
Challenge yourself to make a list of 100 things about your job that you are thankful for and then remind yourself of those things throughout the day.
When I was at my old job I spent a lot of time working on my mindset and it actually really helped me in the long run.
Now I know even if I’m in a situation that’s not ideal or working at a job I don’t really like I can still find ways to be thankful and happy. Look at this as an opportunity to develop an unshakeable positive outlook. You can hear more about my personal gratitude practice in the podcast below.
Take Breaks
If you’re allowed to take breaks at work take them! When I worked at my old job I took an hour lunch break every day. When I first started working there my mentality was to take a short lunch or eat at my desk so I could be at work as little as possible.
However, I found this was really bad for my mental health and I was exhausted by the end of the day. Having lunch halfway through the day gave me something to look forward to and helped break up the day. Everyone’s job is different but if you’re allowed to take breaks you should take them.
I used to try and go for a walk and sit outside during the day when it was nice out. Even just taking a break to walk around your building can be helpful. Having breaks gave me something to look forward to and helped break up the day so it didn’t seem so long and never-ending.
Listen to Positivity
When I worked at my old job I really struggled with positivity. It was so easy for me to focus on the negative and complain all the time. It sucked out all of my energy and just made me feel worse and worse.
Things really started getting better for me when I started listening to personal development podcasts at work. These podcasts helped break up the negative dialogue in my head and gave me a fresh perspective. If you hate your job I suggest you do a media audit and start switching out any negative media your consuming for media that is focused on positivity and personal growth.
Make Plans After Work
When I worked at my old job I would often just go home after work and zombie out in front of the TV. The problem was when I didn’t do anything fun after work I would just go home and have to go back to the office and it felt like I never even left.
I started to search for ways to have more fun outside of work. The more meaning and fun you can find outside of your job the better you’ll feel overall. If you have an unfulfilling job it’s time to work double hard to make sure that the rest of your life is fulfilling.
It’s easy to let the negativity from working at a job you hate spill over and bring down all the other areas of your life. It can impact your relationships, health, happiness and friendships if you let it.
You can’t let yourself use your job as an excuse to have a miserable life.
This is a great opportunity to learn a new skill or take a class that you haven’t tried before. It’s so easy to get into a routine of just going to work and coming home and before you know it you’re feeling depressed and bored all the time. Shake up your routine and try something new.
Decorate Your Space
I always told myself that I would just be at my job temporarily and I never bothered to decorate my desk and space at work. I ended up spending over two years working in an empty cubicle which makes me depressed just thinking about it.
If I had it to do over again I would bring in pictures of my friends and family and get some little plants for my desk. You spend a significant amount of your life at work so if you’re able to bring in a few little things that bring you joy.
Now I work in my home office and I have essential oils, crystals, pictures and things I love on my desk. I can’t imagine going back to working in a plain cubicle. Just thinking about it makes me feel depressed.
Get Healthy
The better you feel in your body the better you’ll feel in every area of your life. When I worked at my 9-5 I let my health steadily backslide each year I was there. Every day I ate unhealthy food and skipped the gym. My energy levels steadily got worse and worse.
Having low energy levels and feeling bad in your body is only going to make it easier to be unhappy at your job.
Set some health and wellness goals for yourself to give up one unhealthy habit and add one healthy habit. I’ve been doing this for years and slowly but surely I’ve been able to majorly upgrade my habits. When I feel stuck in bad habits I do a cleanse to reset my body. It helps me focus for 21 days on my health. I also subscribe to a home workout library so I don’t have to worry about getting to the gym. I know when I worked at my job I didn’t like I just wanted to go home after work and going to the gym felt practically impossible. Home workouts give you a way to get in a 20-30 minute workout at home.
Just getting a little bit of exercise every day can make a big difference in the way you feel.
Make a Plan
If you hate your job you need to make an escape plan! Life is too short to settle for a job you hate.
Brainstorm what your ideal life and job would be like.
Once you know what you want to figure out how you can start taking steps to make that happen.
Do you need to go back to school?
Apply for new jobs?
Ask for a transfer?
Remember, you’re a grown adult and you’re not stuck. You have the power to change your situation and you don’t have to stay at a job you don’t like forever.
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