4 Tips to be Happy In a Job You Despise
You drag yourself for the umpteenth time out of bed cursing that it is Monday. You have hardly slept last night dreading the week ahead and what awaits you at office. The only joy you get out of the whole situation is the fact that every time you sit in a meeting, listen to your boss’s lecture, try to make your subordinates/ colleagues understand the simplest logics, or try to focus on work when you are so under-appreciated/ overworked, you feel increasingly like Goofy or Tom or Mr. Bean who try to keep their eyes open with the help of matchsticks and sellotape.
So you hate your job. Welcome to the life of most people you know. This is the generation which lives for and only during the weekends. The end of Friday is the milestone you look forward to half an hour into Monday. But you are not a quitter and would like to give it your best shot before the curtain drops. Here are 4 ways to help you find more interest in your current job and achieve the goal we keep chasing- “to be happy”.
1. Why are You Doing This?
Despite you despising your job, you are still here. Why? The answer may be that you need to repay your education loan, you have a mortgage, 2 kids in school, a high-maintenance husband/ wife. Or it may be as simple as you saving up to buy the new model of Harley- Davidson or for the next trip to Europe.
Focus on what this job is getting you and you might find it easier to get through each day.
2. What are Your Long-term Plans?
Figure out what you want in your career and what your long-term goals are. See how this job fits into your grand scheme. Once you get to know how important this job is to get to where you want to be, you would find more enthusiasm and zest to do the work more happily.
3. Why are you Unhappy?
There may be a lot of factors that lead to unhappiness at your work-place. Find out what are the causes for yours and look for possible solutions. Talk to your boss about the situation and how it is affecting your productivity. She/ He will help you out as a company always wants their employee to be productive. An unhappy employee is a liability to the organisation. If you are under-appreciated, tell her/ him how you feel, ask for feedback on areas you need to improve. If you are overworked, ask your boss to get you a new employee or at least an intern to share your workload. If nothing else works, ask for lateral moves, or take over a skill-enhancing assignment.
Things you can do:
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Avoid negative people: negative people only culture in negative thoughts and gossips and bring down your productivity.
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Spend time with colleagues you like. Positive hard-working people encourage you to thrive to do better.
4. What Makes you Happy?
Above everything else, at the end of the day, your life is about you. So have some “Me” time every day. Do things that make you happy, relax you, and motivate you. Read, sing, listen to music, paint, go for a hike, create something, dance, do whatever your heart wants. Once your soul is satisfied, you will feel more focused, interested and happy at work.
“Don’t think you are. Know you are.” – Morpheus (Matrix)
Happiness is something we all look for but often forget that the key lays in our hands only.
