How To Deal With A Job You Hate
Posted By Aaron Marcelli on March 27, 2010
I know it doesn’t seem right to complain about work in a down economy, but the truth is that most Americans are not satisfied with their jobs. Most do not want to be defined but what they do during office hours or the work they must manufacture each day in order to keep the lights on. I realize that many of my readers fall under the non-profit or self-employed tags, but few that I talk to do not have aspirations for more out of their profession.
That being said…..do you hate your job? I have been there. I worked at Chick-Fil-A once. Now, there is nothing wrong with working at Chick-Fil-A, but I was doing so because I had no other options and had just been removed from a position within my calling and passion. For months I found myself hating work and scared of getting stuck forever in what I was doing at the time. The more I talk to others I find that many feel this way. Allow me to share a few small things that helped my attitude to change long before my situation did.
- Realize the job is the means, not the ends
I heard it said that “we do what we must so we can do what we want.” That’s how we need to view our jobs. Even if we really enjoy what we do for a living, we should want the better things of life to be how others see us. I would rather be seen as loving, honest, and a great friend more than just a good teacher. Your job allows you to provide for yourself and your family; it’s not who you are.
- Find that one person/thing you really enjoy
When I was at Chick-Fil-A, it was the drive-thru. I loved getting to work the drive-thru and it was even better if I got to work it with this girl named Dawn. She was a lot of fun, she got my jokes, and getting all those cars through the line made me feel more productive and caused time to go by quicker. What at your job does that for you?
- Utilize your free time
If you spend every minute of your day at work thinking about how much you hate it, of course it’s going to be bad. But if you can find those ten minute breaks to finish off a chapter in that book or you have some slow time in the afternoon which you can use to deep breathe or text your special someone, it will provide a break to the emotional strain of your thoughts during the day.
- Find a stress reliever to engage in right after work
A bad job is bad enough. When you carry all those feelings home it causes you to have bad days and then bad weeks. Find something right after work that you enjoy that allows you to shift gears mentally. For me, working out helps, so I go straight to the gym after bad work days. Sometimes though I may just want to plop down on the couch for an hour and unwind in front of the TV. Experts have suggested changing your clothes right after work because you associate your business outfit with your work.
These things have helped me. Perhaps if you feel “stuck” at work they will be of help to you. If not, I hope you find what does work for you. Perhaps you already have discovered what you need so that work doesn’t cause the wheels to come off every day at 5:30.
Please fell free to share what has worked for you!
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You post informative articles. Bookmarked !
Thankyou, I never new that, appreciated.
Anyone know other effective websites for stress management?
Great post, good work. It Couldn¡¯t be wrote any better. Reading this post reminds me of my recent employer! He constantly kept talking about this. I will forward this article to him. Pretty sure he will have a delightful read. Thanks for posting!