It's inevitable. After enough time at any job, you have a day that really sucks. Then, eventually, maybe another. And another. Suddenly the job you loved starts to feel like, well, work. And bad work at that. It doesn't have to be that way. The Problem
We've all dealt with bad bosses or smaller paycheck than we'd like, but that doesn't mean the cure for your ills involves quitting your job and finding another. Every job is still a job, and every job comes with downsides. They call it "work" for a reason, and even if you're lucky and do what you love, you'll have bad days, and it can still suck sometimes. You'll still have to deal with bossy managers, know-it-all coworkers, and, on occasion, frustrating busywork. Even so, many of us jump between jobs with only a matter of time after our first day until we inevitably conclude "this job sucks!" and start looking for the next one.So how do you beat back that creeping feeling that your job is going to eventually wind up sucking? Sure, many circumstances warrant quitting your job. If it really is time to walk, you should do that. This post is for the rest of us. Here, we'll walk you through some tips to stay focused, upbeat, and happy with your work—especially if it's the work that attracted you to a job in the first place.
Step One: Check Yourself Before You Wreck Yourself
The first and most powerful thing you can do right away is to change your mindset. There are plenty of ways to go about this, but it starts with understanding that you have the final say over how you feel. Eleanor Roosevelt said, "No one can make you feel inferior without your consent," and the premise applies here: You may not be able to stop inevitable workplace annoyances from happening, but you can stop them from ruining your day. Here's how.Avoid gossip and water cooler talk. We've discussed how the hive mind influences you before, but it's especially true in office environments. If everyone in your department thinks everything sucks, you're likely to feel the same way, even if you have nothing to gripe about. Try to stay objective when talking to coworkers about workplace issues and office politics, and don't let the gossip get to you. Focus on your work, and doing the best work you can.
- Resist negativity. Avoiding gossip is a good first step, but you can also choose to be part of the solution. Look for the positive and talk it up to coworkers. Make a list of those positive aspects of your job and keep it front and center every day. Perhaps you get to work on something you love, or your job offers you free training, or all the coffee you can drink. Whatever makes you smile about your job, make sure you see and take advantage of it every single day.
- Look for more perks. How many of your job's perks do you make active use of? look hard for them, and take advantage of them as often as possible. Whether it's flexible hours or a casual work environment, turn your job from a place you go every day to an active part of your life that contributes to your wellness beyond your paycheck.
- Learn to cope. Stress will always find you—I've never heard of a job without it. The important thing is to learn how stress affects you and what you can do about it. Take up a hobby, meditate, mentor someone at work—whatever it takes. As you develop those coping mechanisms, you'll be less inclined to pass judgment on your job as a whole. Aggressively seek them out, too: when something bothers you, immediately think about how you can address the stress, even if you can't address the issue.
Step Two: Get Some Perspective: Some Things Suck, but are Those Things Your Job?
When your job gets you down, it helps to put things in perspective. Sure, there are things about your job that make you miserable, but every job will have some elements that aren't ideal. The important thing to do is separate those things out from the things that make you happy. Every job you go to will have some busywork you'd rather not do, coworkers who send snarky emails, and people microwaving fish in the breakroom.The important thing to ask yourself: Are these irritating things my actual job, related to my actual job, or just surrounding my job?
If they're part of your actual job, let your boss know what's bothering you. If you're stuck working on an aging platform that makes you miserable because it goes down every week, your boss may agree that it's time to replace it—especially since it's your job to support that system. If those irritants are surrounding factors, you should search for solutions to those things too, but keep in mind that they're not representative of the job itself. If you enjoy what you do, don't let the small stuff bother you. Focus on the work and deal with the small stuff on the side.
Step Three: Work to Live, Don't Live to Work
Many of us are driven to hate jobs we once loved because we never actually put our work down. It can be difficult, but remember: You work to live, you don't live to work. Defend and enjoy your personal time, vacations, time with family and friends, even your sick leave. Here are some things to keep in mind:Take your vacations. We've warned you against leaving vacation leave on the table, but most of us do it anyway. Taking vacations is one of the best ways to recharge, and besides, you worked for those hours. You deserve them.
- When you're sick, focus on getting better. In a world where we can work from home and stay connected by smartphone, it's important to resist the urge to "work from home" when you're actually ill. When you're sick, your new job is to get better, not do half-assed, bleary-eyed, fever-induced work.
- When you work, be productive. This one is important, because too often we overwork ourselves because we feel like we're not as productive as we should be. Find a productivity method that works for you and stick to it. Take time to review your work so you're never surprised and always in touch with what you're doing and why. Be proactive, don't just let your job be this thing that happens to you five days a week.
- Recognize when you need a break. If that creeping feeling starts to catch up with you, you may be suffering from burnout or otherwise overworked. Identify it, acknowledge it, and take a break before you crash and burn.
- Make small changes. Small changes in your office environment can make a big difference, sometimes more than large ones. A fast new computer, a few plants, a lunch buddy to chat with every day, as better cubicle—go get those things if you can. They may not address your annoyances, but they go a long way towards boosting your mood, and that can help you relax, de-stress, and focus on the positive.
Bring the things you love to your work. A great way to recharge your passion for your work is to find a way to work a hobby or passion you have into your work. Our own Adam Dachis found a way (see #3) at his old job to bring his love for video production to his job doing customer support.
- Go the f**k home. Make a habit of going home every day at the same time. Even if you have to schedule something after work to force yourself to leave, do it. You need to keep a bright line between your work and the other things you do, if only for your sanity.
(Optional) Step Four: Give Up and Strike It Out on Your Own
If there's no fixing the problems you face—no mind hack or vacation time that can offer relief—it may be time to try something drastically different. Consider freelancing full-time or starting your own business. It takes nerve, financial fortitude, skill, and a lot of luck to strike it out on your own, but if every job you ever get sucks, you may never be happy until you're working for yourself, on something that you're truly passionate about.
Step Five: Take Care Of Yourself
Don't underestimate the importance of taking care of yourself. It's easy to feel like every job sucks if the problem is actually with you. For example, if you're clinically depressed and even the things that normally bring you joy fall flat, seek professional help, not necessarily a new job. If you're not getting enough sleep, or your diet needs some help, your attitude and approach to your entire day—at work or at home—will suffer. Exercise, sleep, time with friends and family, and caring for your mental and physical well being in general all go along way towards making any job more bearable.To that point, make sure that if your job really does suck that you address the issues head on. Part of taking care of yourself is standing up for yourself when your job starts to walk on you. If it turns out that your actual work is the thing getting you down, or you don't get to work on something every day you feel you're good at, or all of the annoyances just outweigh the positives of your job, then it might be time to walk away—just take your lessons (and our tips) with you instead of starting the cycle all over again in a new place.
This post was illustrated by Dominick Rabrun. You can find his illustrations on his personal web site, or works in progress on his blog.
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