Yes, your job sucks and you hate your job! I get it. Being trapped in a company that isn’t going anywhere can be awful. You probably feel undervalued, overworked and depressed each day when you leave work.
You are not alone. It happens to me too. Sometimes the only good thing that gets me through the week is my sense of humor. I just laugh and pretend my job is actually awesome.
In this article, I am going to explain signs to note that you hate your job and how to cope to survive in the job while waiting for your next move or next job as your escape plan.
Signs that you hate your job
First thing, if you say yes to at least 2 out of these 6 signs that means you hate your job :
- You dread going into work each day and cannot imagine doing it for more than another 6 months (and sometimes even less).
- You constantly think about what else you could be doing with your time.
- Job dissatisfaction – there are very little aspects of your job that you do enjoy, if any at all. These things can include certain tasks, colleagues who you like, the opportunity to learn something new etc.
- Your daily routine is predictable and unchanging from week to week.
- The job has dulled your senses-you have become jaded at the thought of every waking moment spent there
- Due to above points you are regularly thinking about the future and what your options might be to leave the company.
7 Ways to cope with the job you hate
Now that you have confirmed you hate your job, so, how do you deal with it? One approach is to get a second job or work on your side hustle while working your original one. The other option is to find a new job with a company that shares the same values and passions as you and start there. These are all difficult scenarios and will take time to change. How are you going to survive in the job you hate till then? Take a look at these 7 tips on how to cope in the job you hate while waiting for better opportunities to come your way.
Take a look at your current position or situation
First step is to take a look at your current situation especially the work environment you are currently in, it helps if you can identify what kind of work experience this really is. It could be any number of answers: a toxic environment, stressful job, bad management, no opportunity for growth, new position or promotion, no sense of purpose, lack of job satisfaction and so on. Ask yourself some questions to help you determine what kind of work experience this really is. Maybe the value of the company was not as you expected. Did your interest towards the job changed? What are some of the things that drive you in your job? Do those values align with your current company? or are you in the wrong career path? Sometimes, we might need to look at ourselves as well. Analyse deeper. Find out if these areas have to change or there is enough room to make those changes.
Talk to your bosses
Maybe you hate your job because you are overwhelmed with workload and it is a never ending story when it comes to your task list. You constantly have negative feelings which causes negative effect towards your work due to this. It happens and it’s understandable. Best solution is to talk to your boss or managers about this, do so with tact. Don’t just come out and say that your situation is dire because that might put pressure on them . Talk about how busy you are and the stress it is causing for yourself. Offer a few suggestions on how they may be able to help you such as cutting back on some tasks or delegating more of those to others who could take over.
Adjust your schedule
Don’t get too excited, I am not going to suggest working fewer hours each week, although maybe this would work in certain jobs but if yours pays hourly then cutting back is worth trying especially when there doesn’t seem like any other options. Decide what hours in the day you are most productive and make sure you get those tasks done at that time. One of the best ways to do this by planning ahead.
However, if you can reduce your work hours, then go ahead. Reduce hours until you find something that will be more fulfilling- this way it’s not so hard to go into work each day because it is just temporary.
Take a look at your personal life
I’m not suggesting this is an easy fix but if possible maybe you could find areas of discontent within your personal life so that they will support each other . For example, if you are stressed because you never have time to see friends or family then use this as motivation to ask for a cut back in hours at work.
If you are struggling to find a partner because of your long hours then spend sometime thinking about how you might be able to reduce those. Maybe ask for one day each week off to spend some time away from your work life? Spend the time with things that you love like close friends, family or even a hobby that you have long wished to do. Have a breath of fresh air in a regular basis, so that your mental health will be at its best.
Be within yourself
No, this doesn’t mean being selfish or not taking care of your family and friends but make sure you don’t burn out and effect your physical health before you even have the opportunity to improve your situation. When you are at work, do the bare minimum that is required of you. Sometimes, trying to produce work that is perfect takes away our precious time and energy. I am not saying that you should not produce great work but you need to know whether channelling energy into the task or project is a good fit.
Don’t let a bad attitude get in the way of success. Once you reach a place where things can start to change then go ahead and be more ambitious with what you want to achieve otherwise there’s no point getting excited over something that might never happen .
Don’t just sulk around at work, look for opportunities
I know when I am in a job that sucks it makes me feel like everything else will always suck too. Actively look for opportunities within your company or career that will help you in the long run despite how stuck you may feel. You can only find your ideal job when you look for it.
The worst thing to do is just sit back and accept that your situation is hopeless because it’s not! There is always something that can be done whether it is by you or someone else .
Accept your circumstances
I know that this seems like the least likely approach but hear me out, try to find some form of happiness in where you are right now. Maybe things will change later on but if they don’t then at least you can say you did your best to improve your situation. Focus on what is good about where you are right now; is there any great colleagues who may be able to help? Are there opportunities for training and development that could make a difference?
Be your own Boss
You could be thinking that you have a miserable job because you just don’t like the idea of working for someone else. You want to work on your own. If that’s the case, then start to look for what is your passion and what you would love working on. Start developing those passion in your spare time. Those free time could be your very own comfort zone in finding solace from your stressful job. Once your passion begins to provide you a regular income, then you can leave your full time job and continue with you passion.
Conclusion
These are just a few ideas I hope might help those who hate their jobs survive the next few months. I know it is easy to give up so don’t! At the end of the day, there are always other options even if they might not be immediately apparent.
Good luck, and remember, it may seem impossible but you can do this!