According to the latest statistics, nearly 13.7 million Americans are currently unemployed. While we’re more than grateful that we have a job and we are able to provide for our families, that doesn’t mean we necessarily “like” our job. It that’s true, then you’re not alone.
About 80 percent of all Americans loath their jobs and dread coming into work each morning, according to statistics. Let it be said that if we are truly that unhappy with our current employment status, then perhaps its best that we find a job somewhere else—a job that will be able to provide us with our wants and needs. But if making that sort of leap in a not so stable-economy is scary, then we can at least try to make those unbearable 8 hour work days a little bit more enjoyable! Here’s what we can do:
1. Start the day off right. While the main source of your unhappiness is in fact your job, the way you start off our day can in fact influence our overall mood—if we start the day in a grouchy mood, chances are those sentiments will transition into the workplace as well. To make sure that we always wake up on the right side of the bed, get the proper 6 to 8 hours of sleep, we must get up in enough time to drink your morning cup of coffee, get dressed and eat a well balanced breakfast (whatever you do, you don’t want to feel ‘rushed’ which can escalate irritability and moodiness). Some other tips that might make us a little more chipper than usual is to remind ourselves why we do what we do in the first place and post inspirational quotes/photos somewhere we can see when you wake up, like on the bathroom mirror; we can also listen to some favorite music on the drive to work; or do some mild morning exercises—it’ll get the “happy” chemicals called endorphins pumping through our systems.
2. Become acquainted with our co-workers. If you’ve worked at your place of employment for quite some time you should already know your co-workers quite well. But if you are the type that likes to bring his or her lunch to work every day and eats at their desk alone (basically you like to be anti-social and keep to yourself), it might just be time for you to branch out and start to be-friend the people that you see 5 days out of the week. Not only will these people be able to brighten your day (you’ll have people to talk too and the days won’t go by as slowly) but they will also be there to support you and give you applause whenever you do something note worthy in the office. The feeling of appreciation can persuade us to stick it out a little longer and make us realize that all of our hard work isn’t going unnoticed. So agree to go to lunch with your co-workers occasionally or finally attend one of those after work happy-hours that you always pass on.
3. Take a ‘Real’ Break. If you sit in front of a computer all day long, one the worst possible things you can do is cut your break short and eat your lunch right in front of the screen. Chances are you won’t get full, which will lead to moodiness, and you won’t give your over-worked brain a rest. While it’s understandable that there may be days that we feel overwhelmed with work and feel that we don’t even have a spare moment to even get up to use the restroom, we still need to find a time to take a break—we’re not robots and this kind of behavior will burn us out rather quickly (not to mention make us hate our job even more). So detach yourself from your desk and give yourself a chance to relax. You could take a short walk outside and stretch your muscles to release any tension that might be built up in your neck and shoulder from typing on the computer key board. Or you could even find a extra sunny spot and eat your lunch out there—experts suggest that sun exposure can actually help fight moodiness and depression. After your break, you’ll feel more refreshed and ready to tackle whatever may come your way.
4. Shake Up Your Routine. One of the reasons why some people hate their jobs is because it’s the same boring thing every day. Instead of getting stuck in a rut, we can change the way we do things. Shake it up a bit! For example, eat somewhere new, do assignments in different order, or take a different route to or from work. These ideas may seem simple, but even the slightest change can bring a breath of fresh air.
5. Discuss Issues with Boss. Lastly, if you already know the true reason why you are unsatisfied— maybe you are having issues with a difficult co-worker, maybe you are unhappy with your salary, or maybe you are just bored with your assignments and would like to do something more challenging— then don’t just stay in silence and wallow in disgust with your current status. Talk to your boss about it and see what changes can be made. For example try to see what other opportunities exist for you within the company— is there any way that you can move up or did you already reach as far as you can go? Whatever it is, try to see if you can turn the situation around.
Additional tip: Instead of focusing on the negative aspects of your job, we can try to highlight the positives—do you have great benefits? A lot of vacation days? Do you get seasonal bonuses? Do you have wonderful co-workers? Whatever the perks of your job may be, try to remind yourself of all of the good things your job has to offer. It may just be what you need to appreciate your job a little bit more.
What To Do When We Hate Our Job: 5 Easy Ways to Make Our Day More Enjoyable According to the latest statistics, nearly 13.7 million Americans are currently unemployed. While we're more than grateful that we have a job and we are able to provide for our families, that doesn't mean we necessarily "like" our job. It that’s true, then you're not alone. About 80 percent of all Americans loath their jobs and dread coming into work each morning, according to statistics. Let it be said that if we are truly that unhappy with our current employment status, then perhaps its best that we find a job somewhere else—a job that will be able to provide us with our wants and needs. But if making that sort of leap in a not so stable-economy is scary, then we can at least try to make those unbearable 8 hour work days a little bit more enjoyable! Here’s what we can do: 1. Start the day off right. While the main source of your unhappiness is in fact your job, the way you start off our day can in fact influence our overall mood—if we start the day in a grouchy mood, chances are those sentiments will transition into the workplace as well. To make sure that we always wake up on the right side of the bed, get the proper 6 to 8 hours of sleep, we must get up in enough time to drink your morning cup of coffee, get dressed and eat a well balanced breakfast (whatever you do, you don’t want to feel 'rushed' which can escalate irritability and moodiness). Some other tips that might make us a little more chipper than usual is to remind ourselves why we do what we do in the first place and post inspirational quotes/photos somewhere we can see when you wake up, like on the bathroom mirror; we can also listen to some favorite music on the drive to work; or do some mild morning exercises—it'll get the "happy" chemicals called endorphins pumping through our systems.
2. Become acquainted with our co-workers. If you've worked at your place of employment for quite some time you should already know your co-workers quite well. But if you are the type that likes to bring his or her lunch to work every day and eats at their desk alone (basically you like to be anti-social and keep to yourself), it might just be time for you to branch out and start to be-friend the people that you see 5 days out of the week. Not only will these people be able to brighten your day (you'll have people to talk too and the days won't go by as slowly) but they will also be there to support you and give you applause whenever you do something note worthy in the office. The feeling of appreciation can persuade us to stick it out a little longer and make us realize that all of our hard work isn't going unnoticed. So agree to go to lunch with your co-workers occasionally or finally attend one of those after work happy-hours that you always pass on.
3. Take a 'Real' Break. If you sit in front of a computer all day long, one the worst possible things you can do is cut your break short and eat your lunch right in front of the screen. Chances are you won't get full, which will lead to moodiness, and you won't give your over-worked brain a rest. While it's understandable that there may be days that we feel overwhelmed with work and feel that we don't even have a spare moment to even get up to use the restroom, we still need to find a time to take a break—we're not robots and this kind of behavior will burn us out rather quickly (not to mention make us hate our job even more). So detach yourself from your desk and give yourself a chance to relax. You could take a short walk outside and stretch your muscles to release any tension that might be built up in your neck and shoulder from typing on the computer key board. Or you could even find a extra sunny spot and eat your lunch out there—experts suggest that sun exposure can actually help fight moodiness and depression. After your break, you'll feel more refreshed and ready to tackle whatever may come your way.
4. Shake Up Your Routine. One of the reasons why some people hate their jobs is because it's the same boring thing every day. Instead of getting stuck in a rut, we can change the way we do things. Shake it up a bit! For example, eat somewhere new, do assignments in different order, or take a different route to or from work. These ideas may seem simple, but even the slightest change can bring a breath of fresh air.
5. Discuss Issues with Boss. Lastly, if you already know the true reason why you are unsatisfied— maybe you are having issues with a difficult co-worker, maybe you are unhappy with your salary, or maybe you are just bored with your assignments and would like to do something more challenging— then don't just stay in silence and wallow in disgust with your current status. Talk to your boss about it and see what changes can be made. For example try to see what other opportunities exist for you within the company— is there any way that you can move up or did you already reach as far as you can go? Whatever it is, try to see if you can turn the situation around.
Additional tip: Instead of focusing on the negative aspects of your job, we can try to highlight the positives—do you have great benefits? A lot of vacation days? Do you get seasonal bonuses? Do you have wonderful co-workers? Whatever the perks of your job may be, try to remind yourself of all of the good things your job has to offer. It may just be what you need to appreciate your job a little bit more.
