Are you the type of person who leaps out of bed in the morning, quickly gets ready for the day and rushes out the door so that you can spend as much time as possible at work? Or do you fall into the category of those who press the snooze button over and over again, begrudgingly get out of bed, get ready as slowly as possible, and try to find any excuse to avoid going to work? If you are in the second group and don’t particularly like going to work, you are not alone. Nearly 70% of Americans say that they don’t like their job. However, going to a job every day that you do not like can wear down on your emotional and physical health. If you’re having a hard time enjoying going to work, are are a few tips and tricks to make it a bit more enjoyable.
Get to Know Your Coworkers
Connecting with your coworkers can help you like going to work a little bit more. Get to know them individually and let them know that you care about them. Start by asking them about their weekend, or what they did the day before. Ask them about their family, their friends, their hobbies, etc. When they share information with you, remember it, and follow up if possible. Go out to lunch with a few of them, or organize a Thirsty Thursday where the only rule is that you can’t talk about work. You never know, you may wind up with a life long friend.
Spruce Up Your Workspace
If your workspace is dull and non-personalized or cluttered and hard to navigate, it can affect your work performance. Start by cleaning up your space and organizing it so that you can work better. Then personalize your space by bringing in pictures of your friends, family, and pets, put up inspirational or funny quotes, and bring little decorations that help you remain happy. If you need to, get a little desk game like desk basketball or mini cornhole to give yourself a brain break when needed.
Focus on the Good
Make a list of things that you like about your job, and start thinking about those things. When you talk about your job to friends or family, try to highlight the good things rather than complain about the bad things. If you need to, make a rule that you can only talk about good things about your job for a week. As you do so, you will start noticing more good things about your job, and hopefully help change your attitude about the job you do.
Ask Why
Figure out what it is that makes you dislike your job so much. Is it your morning commute? Is it a specific coworker? Is it the lack of music, the work you actually do, the clients or your boss? Once you figure out what it is that makes you so miserable, you can begin to change things. If you hate the morning commute in traffic, see if you can come in an hour earlier or an hour later so that you don’t get road rage. If you don’t like your coworkers, find out if you can be transferred to a different department or move your desk away from them. If it is the lack of music, see if you can use headphones or play classical music to boost performance. Make a list of the things that make you unhappy and make a plan to change them.
Take A Vacation
You may be having a hard time enjoying your job if you are experiencing burnout. Maybe it is time to take a vacation. You don’t have to go to Europe for six weeks, a few days of a staycation may be enough to help you reset so that you can come back fresh and ready to work. If you don’t have any paid vacation days left, it may be worth it to take a few days of unpaid leave. Or, see if you can work from home for a bit. Have you worked at your job for about seven years? Find out what needs to happen in order to take a sabbatical.
Get a New Job
If no matter how hard you try, you just can’t make it work, start looking for another job that you will enjoy. Check Craigslist, LinkedIn, and local listings to see if there is something that sounds more enjoyable than what you currently do. If you cannot find something that sounds appealing, consider creating your dream job. Being an entrepreneur can help you find fulfillment in your life and in your career. Just be aware that entrepreneurship is not as easy as it appears. There are many legal requirements such as banking, structuring, operating agreements, and more that you may not understand and you would need to turn to a lawyer to make sure you set up everything right.