Don’t Like Your Job? How To Make It Worth Your Time

It happens to everyone at some point. You get a job, and you may start off loving it — but after a while, the newness of the job wears off and your routine becomes boring.

Even if it’s not your routine but the people you work with that make you realize you don’t like your job, you can still try some tricks to spark that love you once had. Sometimes it’s all in how you look at your time.

1. Take a Breather

Even the most boring routine can be overwhelming. If you don’t like your job, one of the best ways to get your head out of a funk is to take a vacation.

However, not everyone can do that. Instead, try visiting a restaurant or drive to a different part of town. Shaking up your after-work routine can greatly benefit your mental health, so try going out for dinner instead of cooking at home or eating leftovers again. It’s a simple and inexpensive way to improve your outlook.

2. Pick Your Battles

If you don’t like your job, it’s almost too easy to let every little thing at work get under your skin. It’s even easier to blame everyone else for your unhappiness afterwards.

The next time you find yourself getting angry, just mentally tell yourself to agree to disagree. Not everything is worth fighting over. If you find yourself constantly at odds with your boss after a year, though, you might want to start a new job search.

3. Do Some Redecorating

Spring cleaning doesn’t have to come just once a year. Looking at the same office setup day after day can make you feel stuck in a rut, which may lead to greater unhappiness at your job. Add some baby plants to your windowsill to give your room a little life, or rearrange where you keep things on your desk.

Even adding a rug under your desk chair can help you remember why you chose your job, and can give your workspace an injection of style.

4. Wake up With the Sun

This may sound like the worst idea yet, especially if you’re not a morning person, but don’t shoot it down until you’ve tried it. Waking up earlier than usual just to add some breathing room to your daily schedule could completely change your perspective. It may also increase your productivity.

After all, watching the sun rise is great, but if you realize you have an extra half hour to throw dinner in the slow cooker, that’ll save you time later and give you a nice meal to look forward to throughout your day. Win, win.

5. Happiness Is Not Sedentary

It’s easy to make happiness a goal. “When I just save up enough money, then I’ll be happy.” Sound familiar?

Setting happiness as a goal is the fastest way to ensure you never feel completely content. Acknowledge that sometimes you’ll be bored at work, or you’ll disagree with co-workers or you have to try harder some days. Then take joy in the little things. It’ll quickly build until you find happiness in the bigger things, including your job.

When you’re constantly unhappy with something you spend most of your day doing, it’s a challenge to get the courage to try and change your mindset about your job, rather than blame other people for your unhappiness.

Once you take that step, you’ll find there’s more to life than a lunch break outside the office or a mental health day at home. You could even make new friends or create memories that’ll keep you from hitting the snooze button.