When you don’t like your job, it can bleed into every area of your life. When you come home, you’re tired and stressed. Outside the office, you only seem to talk about how awful work is. Whether it’s a part-time position or a career you are pursuing full-time, working at a job you don’t love is exhausting.
Instead of letting it drain you, follow these tips on how to find joy at even the worst of jobs.
Maintain hobbies outside of work
One way to bring a positive attitude to work is to have a life outside of the office. This means don’t bring work home with you. Instead, when you clock out, focus on yourself. This could be anything from taking fitness classes, going to happy hours with friends, running a bubble bath and reading a book, volunteering with your favorite nonprofit, or traveling. Setting boundaries between work and your time outside your 9-to-5 will help you guard your peace of mind.
Develop work friendships
It’s easier to pass the time when you’re working with people whose company you enjoy. Even if it’s only one person in your office, make a friend. From inside jokes and taking lunch breaks together to having someone cover for you when you’re late, having a friend in the office will come in handy.
Focus on the positives
Gratitude can shift your perspective in even the most negative of situations. Whether it’s the location of your office, your manager or the short commute to work, remind yourself of the good aspects of your job. If you can’t think of any, consider being grateful for all the things this job has taught you about what you don’t want in a future position or company. These are valuable lessons to learn in your career journey.
Find a safe person to vent to
While it’s best to find a person outside of work to vent all of your frustrations, sometimes when work is draining, you need to be able to let it out in the moment. Find a trusted coworker or office friend to give you a listening ear on harder days. This will require some time as you want to ensure that the person is trustworthy. Otherwise, keep vent sessions amongst people like your spouse, best friend or roommate.
Get moving
Use your lunch break to get active. Whether it means going for a walk outside or around the building or taking a yoga class at the studio next door, breaking a sweat will alleviate some of your work stress. You will be refreshed and come back to work ready to finish the day strong.
Practice positive self-talk
Another way to maintain joy at a job you don’t like is by learning to become your biggest cheerleader. If you have a particularly negative boss who belittles you or a never-ending workload, then be sure to say kind things to yourself like, “You can do this,” “It is OK that you made a mistake. You are doing your best,” or “Tomorrow is a new day. I will try again.” The words you speak to yourself can make all the difference in cultivating joy in a less than joyful job.
xx, The FabFitFun Team
