Why You Hate Your Career (And How to hate it Less).

That sick, sinking feeling you have when you have to get up and go to work means that something is wrong. Unfortunately, you're far from alone if you experience some stress every time your weekday alarm clock goes off. In short, there are a lot of office haters out there. If you are one of the office haters, here are some strategies to help you like your job, or at the very least, hate it a lot less.

Mix business and pleasure. Research shows that having even one friend at work greatly increases how happy people report they are about their jobs. So ditch the unrealistic advice not to mix business and friendships and go ahead and make friends.
Get acquainted with kind, civil colleagues. Even the worst workplace snake pits always have a few good souls. Spend more time with them. Support them.

Manage your energy. It is an unfortunate fact about the human brain that negative information is easier to recall, so make a conscious effort to focus on positive characteristics about your work. Every day, identify three things you like about your job.
Choose and invest in relationships that are energizing to you. Positive connections at work fuel motivation, engagement, and well-being. De-energizing relationships, on the other hand, take a tremendous toll on people. They have four times the effect that energizing relationships do, highlighting the importance of managing your relationships.

Take 10 percent for you. What inspires you and energizes you? Give yourself that gift for 10 percent of your work time each week. Build time into your calendar for recharging during the day or week, block it out and keep that time precious to go and run, walk your dog, read, meet interesting colleagues or whatever recharges you.
Find a project, a target market, or even a small inside-the-office issue that interests and excites you. Volunteer to lead, or at least participate, in the effort. You'll enjoy your workdays more, and you may discover new opportunities or meet new people that lead to a positive change in your career.

Keep it up. Even if you hate your job, continue doing your work, keep moving forward. Short-changing your current organization is not in your long-term interests.
To hate your job less, consider reducing your exposure to particular people or the organization depending on what's driving your hatred. You might:
-Stop attending optional social functions at work.
-Stop volunteering for tasks or committees that are peripheral to your job responsibilities.
-Limit your work to normal working hours.

Heed the message. Two things that reliably increase happiness are hope and sense of accomplishment. So if you really, really hate your job, create a plan for leaving it and then every month, make progress on your plan. Even if you can't leave right away, knowing you are closer is better than imagining yourself stuck forever.

Posted in: Career Advice