19 Apr 2023
Sadly, many people work in jobs they dislike. Going to work each day knowing that you’re not going to enjoy the following 8 or 9 hours can cause you to think negatively, and this generally gets worse as time goes on if nothing changes to improve the situation. Such feelings can lead to an increase in anxiety levels and other mental health problems, as well as an increase in sickness absence levels.
The most obvious thing to do would be to look for another job. However, for many this may not be an option – whilst a job may be awful, the location, working hours or shift patterns may suit you perfectly, for example making child care easier. Similarly, you may simply lack the courage to adjust to a new environment and workplace.
If moving to another workplace isn’t an option at this point, the first thing to do is to take action which helps you avoid thinking negatively. Introduce some more positive things into your life outside of work, whether it’s indulging in relaxing activities like reading, yoga or meditation, or building a more active social life, to give you those additional activities to look forward to.
Secondly, if you feel able to, talk to your manager at work to see if there is anything you could get involved in which would improve your role and overall motivation at work, explaining those issues which are contributing to your unhappiness about the job. Any good manager worth their salt will do what they can to improve your wellbeing at work.
One of the largest problems arises when the manager is part of the problem. Sometimes people can be working at absolute capacity and have nothing left to give beyond what they are doing, yet feel very unappreciated. Feeling that your efforts are unappreciated is one of the largest contributing factors in workplace depression.
Finally, it is important though to avoid openly saying you dislike your job to colleagues, or complaining about tasks while at work. This could inadvertently make your colleagues feel negative, which could then contribute to a negative work environment as a whole.
It does help to understand that you’re not alone in this situation; many of us will, at some point, feel trapped in a job they don’t enjoy. It is definitely not an uncommon situation and it is something that many people will go through, though we realise that doesn’t make it any easier to navigate while you are in it.
Sometimes you realise that you have to put your own mental health first and make the leap to another job. It isn’t an easy conclusion to come to but if things just aren’t showing any signs of improvement, it is sometimes the only real option that is left to you.
If you need a push to make that move, why not take the first steps to a brighter future by searching for a new job today. Take some time out to search for new jobs with www,OurBob.com – it’s simple and easy!
