How To Stay Motivated At A Job You Hate

What do you do when you hate your job?

Like, the kind of hate that gives you the sick-to-your-stomach feeling when you wake up and that keeps you from feeling motivated in other areas of your life?

What do you do when you’re so demotivated at work that you can’t even fathom how to muster the energy for your job search?

You are not alone.

So many of us have walked in your shoes before. Perhaps, you’ve been at your job a year too long. Maybe more. And one day, you wake up and realize, “This will not go on any longer. I’m done. I’m out of here.”

If you want to quit but can’t (or at least not yet), there are some strategies that we can use to be happy even if we hate our job.

These tips will help you to look at your job from a different perspective. Therefore, you’ll be able to recognize the positive aspects of work and some changes you can make that will make you feel happy about your job.

Learn a new skill.

If you hate your job, why not prepare yourself to take on a future career that you will love? Develop a new skill and invest your energy in fostering it. If it’s also something that could help in your current role, ask your employer to send you to a seminar or pay for an online course. At the very least, you can start to prepare for your next job down the road while learning something that is of interest to you.

Think about your salary.

It’s not about how much you get in your bank account every month but about the good things you can afford with your paycheck. Are you saving up for a once in a lifetime trip? How about a new house? New car? Designer shoes? When you can’t get yourself out of bed in the morning, just focus on what each minute at work actually buys you. At the very least, you can be thankful that you have a job to pay for the roof over your head.

Find the Root of the Problem.

What’s keeping you from feeling positive at work? Find where the problems lie and start forming possible solutions. Just because you hate your job doesn’t mean you have to throw in your towel right away. You may be able to resolve the root of the problem so your time at work can be more bearable.

Take More Time to Focus on Yourself.

If you find your job draining, you might want to spend more time focusing on yourself. This will ensure that you always show up at work feeling refreshed.

Spend more time doing something that makes you happy such as –

listening to music
exercising or
meditating
Reading self-help books will provide many ideas on how to positively focus on yourself.

By reading about the author’s experience in her search for happiness, you will gain insights on how you too can make positive changes in your life.

Negotiate with Your Employer

Would some little changes at your current job make you happy?

When negotiating with your employer, focus on how the company will benefit from the changes that would make you happier.

May be getting them to include more skills that you want to improve or focusing on an aspect that is interesting to you.

Create a list of all the things that would make you happy at work and would also have a positive impact on your employer.

Plan your exit

Even if you can’t leave just yet, planning your exit can improve your mood.

‘Brush up your CV and Linkedin profile, start networking, and contact staffing agencies. Maybe an opportunity will come up which is too good to miss.’ suggests Corinne Mills of Personal Career Management and author of Career Coach.

Also, a better option for a safe exit is to contact SOAL Technologies. We connect you with the job that you love.