How do you keep going in a job you hate?

LavenderLily_2

Hello everyone

Firstly, I want to say that I am so grateful to have a job and do not intend to cause offence to those who are jobseeking.

It's just...I hate my job. I'm qualified for it, I'm capable of doing it, I get on well with nearly everyone there but the management is so rubbish it's making me dread going in! Everyone lives in fear of being pulled up on something because communication is terrible and policies change frequently without us knowing.

The boss is paranoid, he sees conspiracies where there are none, he flies of the handle at any tiny thing and everyone is fearful of him. It's a very tense, dog-eat-dog atmosphere and I hate it. My health has suffered in the year I've worked there and I'm now back on medication for depression.

I just wondered, there must be others like me that feel their lives are being sapped away by their jobs; how do they cope?

How do you keep going when you hate your job?

jayII

When I've been in this position, I've focussed on using all my free time to look for a new job. This allowed me to see the hated job as ''temporary'' and has made it much easier to cope on a day to day basis. I saw each day as 8 hours to get through and worked hard to make the time pass quicker. Avoiding getting caught up in office gossip and politics can help too.

However, I've never been on medicine for depression due to a job. If I was I think I'd be questioning if a job is worth losing my health over...

micflair_2

I used to be like this, went into work everyday dying for clocking off time.

But I realised it wasn't the way to go as it was doing my head in. Id goto work moaning all day, then come home moaning to the mrs all night.

You have to either find a job you will like (hard). Or change your mentality to your current job. Get into it, try and move on up in the company etc. Find interest in the job and be positive about it. Dont go into work defeated before you even start, its all about having the right attitude to it. I used to be a rebel at work, and rage against the machine whenever I could, all that it did was bring me down. Now I go in trying to think of the positives of my job and what I spend my pay on!

I know it sounds easy to say, but its all in the mind. Play the game at work with your boss and it will change your life around! I work in retail, which is a very demanding job so its not like I sit on my !!! all day.

I think Ill become a motivational speaker.. haha.

scooby088

I have always been a clock watcher in any job that i have done, but it makes it worse when you hate the job you are doing. My last place was like that the management didn't communicate or motivate and were worse than useless. But my co workers were in the same position and we always had a good banter which made the day that much quicker.

At the end of the day think of it you could be worse off by not having a job, I am unemployed and don't begrudge anyone who hates their work or the company they work for, i'm afraid that many people are in the same situation as yourself and I know the feeling is not nice at all.

antw23uk

Its called a mortgage and a rubbish job market

sweaty_betty

I empathise, I'm in a similar situation (including the stress/depression side) and so decided the best way to deal with it was to find another job.
It's taken a bit of doing (and a good few months) but I'm starting to feel like there's light at the end of the tunnel.
If you can, I'd advise you to do the same - it's made a big difference to almost every area of my life, not having to be so stressed about work.

Good luck.

itzmee

My job made me feel like this, so for the sake of my sanity I reduced my hours and now work 4 days a week. I have Wednesday's off and it is great at the beginning of the week knowing that I get a break half-way through, and then on Thursday I know I only have another two days to go before the weekend;). I discussed this with DH to make him understand how I was feeling and he was ok with it, and more importantly our finances allowed it. I decided not to change my job as I am on decent pay, don't have too much of a commute and it's just the nature of the job that makes me unhappy, not the bosses. In the meantime I keep a look out on the internal vacancies for transfers. Maybe this could work for you?

falko89

Oh I can relate to this. Everyone here know my feelings on my job so won't go into that, but all you can do is focus on getting out, thats the only thing that keeps me going knowing that this won't be forever.

isie1980

I was in a similar position a few years back and a good friend gave me this advice:
Work is role play. Just play the game 9-5 as it enables you to live your real life the rest of the time.
Honestly, like micflair said, a lot of it is about keeping a positive attitude.
I did move jobs, and have been at my current place 7 years. I don't love it but I don't hate it. Every day I just go in and do what I can do. When it goes a bit pear shaped I try not to take things personally as I did my best, then I carry on. I don't have any great sense of achievement at the end of the day but I will take the little positives that come my way. I take note of the odd "Thankyou" email and it does go some way to getting a better feeling of being appreciated. Keep smiling and be a pleasant person as others will respond likewise.
At the end of the day, if your health is suffering you probably do have to move on, but as it can take time just try to make every day the best you can and keep going.
I've been on antidepressants and years ago made the choice to jack in a job and take a huge paycut not knowing how I'd meet the bills etc. Honestly, I could never have made that decision without being very ill. But looking back, I probably could've got better by working on my attitude and refusing to get beaten down by things. But being positive takes a lot of hard work and you're probably not in the best mindset. If you're open to slightly "modern" positive thinking stuff then Louise L. Hay's You Can Do It cd is worth a listen. Just get past the earnestness and the American accent and it has a good lesson in there on improving your life by improving your thoughts.
Sorry, waffled on, but hope this helps a tiny bit.

SueC_2

I find it helpful (sometimes) to have my computer desktop / screen saver set as a photo of something that my job has meant I could afford - my last nice holiday, or my house, or my car or some other treat I've enjoyed. When times at work are rough I look at the screen and think "Yes, but without this I wouldn't have had that". It doesn't always do the trick, but just often enough!

denideth

Ahh I've been in your situation, OP!
My old job was in a call centre (1pm-9pm 5/7 as well as a 60 mile round trip on top, yikes!). I was a clock watcher, I hated being a salesperson and I hated cold-calling - so I slacked... a lot.

When I worked there, I went in to a depressive state which reflected on friendships and my relationship. I decided that damaging my mental health wasn't worth the money, and the only solution was to leave! I had enough in my savings to support myself financially to make sure I could pay car insurance etc for a few months.
Thankfully the State helped me and allowed me JSA while I looked for another job. I'm really surprised (even a month on) at how much happier I am now that I've left, despite not having as much money as I used to. I start an (albeit lower paid) 9-5 admin job tomorrow.

You definitely aren't alone when you say you hate your job - I'm sure the majority of us have been in that situation before.