Stay Positive in a Job You Hate

A feeling you might get while at work, can be easily compared to a situation, when you have to share a room with a person you are not particularly fond of. Of course, you can survive and just not to pay attention to your neighbour, spend less time indoors, or avoid meeting him or her at home by learning your neighbour’s schedule by heart.

Steps

  1. Don't be your own enemy. Survive! Let everybody think that you are fond of the job you are performing by showing maximum initiative and creativity, when completing assignments you receive. Do little things to make the day more enjoyable, such as listening to music while you work.
  2. Be yourself. However, if you are a direct person, try to smile more to your colleagues and think 5 times before you snap back. Nobody likes unhappy people and will not like to listen to your problems or come to your office just to see your serious and gloomy face.
  3. Look on the bright side. Try to put together a list of positive sides of your job, company, employer, and staff. While doing so, keep your mind focused on positive; remember some funny stories that have happened to you recently. This will help to concentrate your thoughts and make them positive.
  4. Make something up. If you failed to find any positive sides, you could try to use your imagination in full and make up some positive things or even act to make changes. For instance, take one negative thing - a constant bad smell in the office. You could interpret this fact in your head, as, "It does smell bad. But I'll buy those little funny smell improvers and hang them all over the place and encourage people to open windows more often.” And after all the actions are implemented, you will feel like a hero, who has just saved the planet and therefore you'd come to realise what a silly thing it'd have been to have left such a comfortable place like the one you have just created.
  5. Remember your salary. Whenever you feel like crying, find a calculator, and work out the salary, which you will receive soon and think of shopping, visiting, going to the theatre or dancing.
  6. Take quick breaks to do what you enjoy. Find a task you will enjoy doing (or if not a task - an online magazine or newspaper you have always enjoyed reading). In addition, whenever you have a bad mood, or something wrong has again occurred to you at work - just keep yourself busy with what you enjoy. This is how you could distract and focus on spelling, vocabulary and other more enjoyable or enriching things.
  7. Learn to laugh. Imagine your colleagues in funny situations (this works with bosses), and laugh at it when you are alone remembering about them. Laughing will make you happier.
  8. Be proactive. If you are asked to complete an unwanted task, suggest an alternative way. If it is not approved, act like you were instructed. At the end, everything will happen as you had warned. Just keep this case in mind and wait for the next stupid task to follow. When it arrives, remind politely about the previous case.
  9. Take advantage of breaks. Try to go out for a lunch break, so you would feel the freedom, breathe the fresh air, and stay for a couple of minutes away from the working place.
  10. Make friends. Find people you can at least talk to, or ask for advice in the organization, but do it with utmost care having all your wits about you. This does help a lot, when you need support and understanding. If the place is not so perfect, there will be many people supporting you because they have already gone through the same. However, do not rely on them and filter what you say in public. To be on the safe side, be a bit vague, so you will always find a way out.
  11. Look for another job. Just spend your time filling in application forms and sending out CVs. This will improve your mood greatly by distracting you and giving you something to look forward to and by increasing your chances of finding a better job.
  12. Be always 100% beautiful. Put on stylish clothes and spare some of your morning time for make up and a perfect hairdo. A person makes a place, not a place makes a person.
  13. Consider the job and place as a challenge and try to make a competition with yourself. How long will I be able to stay here? Mark a date on your calendar, when you will leave, if nothing changes. After all, you will be able to see if you are strong enough to overcome the difficulties.
  14. Leave. If the money you get at this place is not the only source of income in your family, if you feel the job is no good for you and you will not reach your personal and career goals being employed by the company, look for another job and leave. You can also leave straight away. Nevertheless, be sensible; there might be some money involved whether you do things one way or another. Ask for advice before taking such a drastic step.

Tips

  • Remember where you are now and here. Agree that this is not the worst thing that could happen to you. Try to be glad and thankful even for a little; do not do anything rash until you regain your peace of mind.
  • If you are not interested in the job, people etc., you must have no fear of being fired. So relax and stop taking everything so close. It is a rare thing for one person to change a whole organization. If your opinion or suggestions are not taken seriously – stop wasting your time working in this place.
  • Be smart enough not to show to your employer your real plans and attitude. If they are not worse off having you in their team, let the loss be unexpected.(it's ok to be mad but don't act on a temper!)
  • Do not hurry before deciding. Let a day or two pass, when you will be able to judge clearly if your wish to escape is still strong enough and it is the sensible thing to do according to your profile and job availability in your area.
  • Keep your telephone etiquette when talking to someone about the situation. Call your friends or family if you need to hear a warm word from them. They will support you in all the senses.
    • Talk it over with your family if the money you get at this place is not the only source of income in your family, if you feel the job is no good for you, and you will not reach your personal and career goals being employed by that company.
  • Being engaged in a business activity, employed by a company, whose values and principles are not supported by you, will obviously catalyze a rejection on your side and urge you to move in an opposite direction.

Warnings

  • Be polite even in cases when it is difficult.
  • Never refuse to do the job. This is what you have been paid for.
  • If you want to say something unpleasant - stop yourself, think of a sea, or a flower, or your baby... And smile to your conversational partner. You will not be angry anymore and it would be silly to start a conflict with a smile.
  • Be aware of the security measures. Check if your telephone line is being listened through, if your e-mails are read and if the websites you visit are checked by the organization. If so - you should avoid some of the steps suggested earlier.
  • Come in time and dress nicely. So that in case you will be asked to leave – you will be an innocent victim of the situation. For women: stay pretty! Walk out with pride! Even if your office mates dress up as they are up to going to the beach, you are different!

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