Perhaps one of the most difficult and unpleasant situations in a person’s life is the moment when he realizes that he does not enjoy what he is doing. And it’s very bad if you don’t like the work. What to do in such difficult situations? The question is quite complex, but important. So it’s worth turning to the recommendations of specialists and trying to find effective tips that will help.
A simple solution to the situation
If you don’t like something, you don’t have to endure it. Life is too short and beautiful to waste it on stress and dissatisfaction. However, many people cannot write a letter of resignation if they do not like the job. What to do in such cases? First, decide why leaving your old place is not an option. Fear of impending unemployment and problems finding a new position? So you can think about this in advance and send your resume to institutions where there are vacancies.
Often the reason lies in the fear of change. Many people are afraid to leave their old place, because they will have to get used to the new, adapt, get used to a different team, different rules. But we must remember that change is an integral part of our lives. Moreover, these difficulties are temporary. A person quickly gets used to everything new, so you just need to gather your willpower and decide to change your life for the better. Personal desires must come before fear.
Need forced
Don't like the job? A new job was found “on the run.” It happens? It happens quite often. For example, we had a fight at a previous job and quit under the influence of emotions. There are no savings, but we need something for something. Here you don’t have much choice, we go to the first place we come across.
It would seem a completely absurd situation. However, it usually occurs among young professionals. I don’t want to make concessions; it seems that all roads lie at my feet. Wherever I want, I’ll go and work there. You have a diploma in your pocket; with a higher education they will take you anywhere.
Alas, the reality turns out to be different. Parents drive them to work, and an employee with minimal experience is not particularly needed. We take what they give.
Or they laid off workers from the company. They paid the necessary sums of money, double the salaries. And the person is the only breadwinner in the family. And the sums, which seemed large, began to melt before our eyes. He tries to find a job in his specialty, but nothing comes of it. Something more or less suitable turned up, so I went there.
In this case, it is natural that you do not like the new job. What to do? If you practically never had to change your job, then you can take a risk. Start searching for what you like. But don't leave this job until you find something you like. It won't be easy. Sometimes the search takes six months or more. Don't give up, keep searching.
Have you found a suitable option, passed the interview and realized that it’s not for you? Write a statement of your own free will.
More variety!
Well, if it is not possible to change your place of employment, you will have to act in a different direction.
Does your job bring you no joy? This means that we need to find another source of it that will supply a person with such a sea of pleasure that the working day in an unloved place will begin to pass easier and faster. At least because he will be warmed by the anticipation of something good.
Having found a source of joy and inspiration, a person will feel a certain rainbow fullness. An outlet in the form of a hobby will not only diversify life, but also give strength, energy, and confidence. In addition, a hobby can give a person a new goal with which he will be “on fire.” He will have something for which it will be interesting to live. Anger will disappear, as well as aggression and resentment towards one’s fate, because all this appears due to monotony and boredom. Work will no longer come to the fore. It will simply begin to be perceived by a person as a source of income.
Manager's attitude
Don't like your new job because of your boss? At the interview he was just a sweetheart. But before the newcomer had time to really join the team, it all started. A quibble here and there. And all this is done so sarcastically.
What to do? Try to call the manager for a conversation. Ask him what he doesn't like about your job. And consult with him how this can be corrected, what result he would like to see.
An adequate boss will appreciate this. If you come across a careless leader who asserts himself at the expense of his subordinates, there is nothing you can do about it. You'll have to endure it or quit.
Problems with the environment
Many people complain that they don't like the team at work. What to do in this case? The answer depends on the specific situation.
In general, it is advisable to understand the reasons why the team does not suit him. Everyone cannot be perfect, we must understand this. Perhaps you should change your attitude towards others. They are just colleagues. Each of them, like the person himself, is a cell, a link in an entire enterprise. They don't have to be friends at all. It is enough to contact them exclusively for work and reduce any other communication to nothing.
If someone causes trouble for a person, that is another matter. You need to deal with such people quickly, dotting the i’s. Again, we must remember that everyone in this enterprise takes their place and performs certain responsibilities. Everyone is equal. Belittling, bullying, intrigue, gossip, intrigues - all this is unprofessional and can be a reason for an official complaint to the authorities.
Is it the management itself that is causing trouble? This is a difficult case, but it is also provided for by law. However, complaints to the prosecutor's office or labor inspectorate need not be brought to the point. A display of character is enough, and this requires a little self-confidence, selfishness and courage.
It's about the team
Don't like the team at your new job? Unfortunately, this is a fairly common occurrence. Especially in women's groups. Gossip, deceptions and other “joys” of joint work.
How to be in this case? Start by reducing communication to a minimum. Only for work. Do not drink tea together, do not start pleasant conversations. And if they persistently ask about personal things, then with a sweet smile make it clear that you are not going to air your dirty laundry in public.
It came to the point of being set up in front of the manager. What should a beginner do? Don’t hesitate, boldly defend your position. If necessary, demand that the surveillance cameras be raised. It's not your fault, you have nothing to fear.
Imagine the situation: two salespeople worked in a pet store on different shifts. One of them arrived quite recently, a couple of months ago at most. One day, the purchasing manager lost his wallet. How is this possible? Yes, everyone simply undressed in the common locker room, and the level of trust was such that the lockers were not locked. This is rare now, but still.
And so the sellers are called to the director. They start interrogating the new guy. But he was not at a loss and suggested calling the police and raising the cameras. When the cameras looked, they realized that the newcomer was not to blame. It was never clear who committed the theft. But the new seller was not in the locker room at that time.
New place
A person who has barely signed an employment contract will have to get used to an unfamiliar environment and unfamiliar people. Many people don't like their new job. What to do in such a difficult situation? At least calm down. And convince yourself that you will soon be able to get used to everything new.
In the meantime, it is better to follow the so-called freshman tactics, that is, show moderate interest in what is happening, ask questions, but at the same time not disturb others. Trying to get to know everyone at once and putting out as much information as possible about yourself also doesn’t need to get boring. The chance will come again.
The main task is to integrate into the work process and show yourself as a modest but professional worker. “Old-timers” will appreciate this, and only then will help the person adapt to the new place and love his job.
...in five months
This time is enough to start feeling comfortable. If you still hate your job, then it's time to have an honest conversation with your manager. Tell him about your work goals and what you would like to do in the future. Discuss the problems that prevent you from achieving these goals. Perhaps the boss will offer some options.
If this strategy is not successful and even the next few months do not improve, then at least when you start looking for a new place, you will know that you did everything possible.
Source: fastcompany.com
A useful burst of energy
What to do if you no longer like your job, and everything connected with it causes only hostility? You need to find a way to throw out your negative energy. This is really important because this situation can lead to a state of chronic high tension. It is accompanied by disruption of the functioning of the body, the functioning of the autonomic nervous system, muscle pain, insomnia, etc.
Psychologists recommend going in for sports or some other active activity. Many people neglect this advice, citing fatigue. From morning to evening at a job you don’t like, and then go to the gym after that? Exactly. Unloved work causes stress, which is considered a physiological reaction involving the release of adrenaline into the blood in small but regular doses. In modern conditions, the body has nothing to spend the energy it receives on. It accumulates, as a result of which a person quickly gets tired and “wears out”, hence eternal fatigue. Playing sports can help you use this energy purposefully and constructively.
Plus, glucose levels are regulated, endorphins are produced, tissues and organs are saturated with oxygen, and moderate exercise helps to warm up and feel more energetic. Therefore, when you no longer like your job, what you need to do is go to the gym.
Setting a goal
It has been proven that a person works much more effectively if he has a clear idea of the final result. Given this fact, there is another answer to the question of what to do if you don’t like your job. And it sounds like this: you need to set a goal!
What if we tried to work harder? Maybe you can get a promotion. And this is adding variety to work activity, and even an increase in salary. You can start saving for something nice. For a vacation near the sea, for example. The thought of azure water, palm trees and warm sun will additionally warm the soul and give strength.
This can turn work into a game, into a rewarding quest. Every day should be taken as a new level. Having passed it, you are one step closer to your goal. The beauty is that a person can shape the “content” of the levels himself. The most important thing in this matter is a creative approach and a dose of optimism.
How to restore strength
Find out what's wrong with your business
If work drains all the juice from you, it’s not without reason. You can’t just let things take their course, but when you have to be vigilant 24/7, it’s obvious that the business has serious problems.
You should be wary of situations when you first explain their tasks to your subordinates several times, and then are still forced to redo their own work for them. If a manager periodically helps solve serious problems, this is normal. The key word is “helps”, and does not rush to put out the fire first while employees shrug their shoulders.
If you have to do everything yourself, you may have problems with delegation. For example, routine tasks such as bookkeeping or paperwork can be delegated to specially trained employees. At the same time, it is worth paying attention to building business processes. Employees’ ideas about the results of their work may differ from yours, hence the need to constantly double-check everything with them.
Many managers make the same mistakes over and over again: taking on more tasks than they can handle, relying on intuition instead of market analysis, and trusting that employees will figure out what they need to do. The authors of B2Blog, a publication for entrepreneurs, have collected five common mistakes that can ruin a business and explained how to correct them. It tells you clearly and without any fuss how to run your business. Read if you don’t want to waste time repeating other people’s failures.
Think about whether you really need your own business
The main goal of any business is profit. In some cases, where the business is not the only or primary source of income, it may have higher goals, such as social responsibility. Ultimately, your business should bring you money for a decent life, or at least moral satisfaction, if money is not so important to you. But if for a long time you only invest resources in your business and see no return at all, this is a reason to think about whether it is worth such efforts.
There is nothing shameful in getting rid of the source of problems, closing the company and returning, for example, to hiring at least for a while. This doesn't mean you're a failure or afraid of responsibility. This means that you are able to make smart decisions and manage your life correctly. Not everyone is born to be a businessman, and not every business is doomed to success, and this is absolutely normal.
How to close an individual entrepreneur so as not to have problems with the law: read in B2Blog →
Remember that work is just part of life
As well as relaxation, hobbies and communication with friends. Work takes exactly as much time as you allocate to it. Your task is to define clear boundaries beyond which things should never go beyond, otherwise you risk facing burnout.
Set yourself a framework for your working day - even if it differs from the usual “nine to six”. The idea is that after this time you do exclusively personal things - go to the gym, take care of the children or walk the dog. All unfinished work is transferred to tomorrow. And no, you don’t have to be in touch 24 hours a day, so in the evenings you can safely turn off message notifications in instant messengers.
Take a break
stefanolunardi/Depositphotos.com
Yes, you are a business owner. Yes, you are responsible for everything that happens to your business. But this does not mean that you need to forget about rest and work all year round without raising your head.
Rest is as much a part of life as work. Make it a rule to leave at least one day a week free from work and periodically go on vacation. This is a kind of investment: it’s better to rest for a week than to burn yourself out, hate the business and rashly close your individual entrepreneur. Such a respite will help you emerge from your routine, look at familiar problems with a fresh look and find new opportunities to solve them.
Yes, it’s scary to leave subordinates unattended, but this is a matter of smooth work processes. If a separate employee is responsible for each area, he will temporarily take over some of your functions. And so you don't worry, he can send reports on how things are going.
How to properly monitor employees: read in B2Blog →
Follow the regime
When starting a business, there are usually more tasks than there are hours in the day. There is a temptation to give up rest and sleep for a maximum of three hours, just to finally sort it all out. This path will sooner or inevitably lead to overwork and aversion to work.
To maintain optimal performance levels, make time for exercise and adequate sleep—at least seven hours a night. Put important non-business activities on your calendar, just like meetings or calls. Treat them with the same responsibility as your work: they cannot be canceled or rescheduled. This practice will help you break out of the routine and periodically switch, unloading your brain before it boils.
Get your affairs in order
If you regularly encounter the same problems, try to find and fix the source. To do this, draw up a step-by-step diagram of the main processes that bring you money: both from the employees’ side and from the client’s point of view. For each process, assign someone responsible: it is he who will report on the results of the work.
This diagram will help you understand why problems occur and find ways to solve them. For example, managers must simultaneously communicate with customers and process order documents. As a result, they do not have time to do anything, so the papers are a mess, and clients often refuse purchases. This means that we need to separate these processes and take on a separate person on the team who will keep order in the document flow.
Remember that you are a leader, not a jack of all trades, so feel free to delegate some tasks to subordinates. The Beeline Business blog has a reminder about delegation errors - read it if you are used to personally controlling everything from start to finish. B2Blog writes simply about complex things and gives advice that will help you use your resources wisely to build a successful business.
How to run a business and not suffer
Small pleasures
You also can’t do without them if you don’t like the work. What to do in this situation? In addition to all of the above, you will have to please yourself every day! It could be a delicious cake for breakfast, a cup of coffee with chocolate in the middle of the day, a bubble bath at the end of a hard day, a trip to the cinema, or pizza delivered to your home. How do little things like this help? Very simple. The principle of compensation works. Instead of the negative emotions experienced during the working day, a person receives something good that brings pleasure and joy.
In general, it is important to please yourself constantly, as psychologists say. But especially if you don't like the job. What to do but give yourself pleasure, since this is not yet expected from work.
Finding out the reasons
Before making any decisions, let's carefully analyze why you don't like the job. The reasons may be as follows:
- Not satisfied with job responsibilities.
- The team is unsuccessful.
- I don't like the manager's attitude.
- The salary is different than promised.
- Not at all what I would like to do.
Now let's look at each of them in detail.
Situation
Finally, I would like to mention the importance of the atmosphere in a person’s workplace. Even if he does not have an office, but only a corner with a table and a chair, he simply must decorate it accordingly. So what to do? If you don’t like your job, the psychologist’s advice recommends surrounding yourself at work with everything that’s most pleasant. A frame with a photo of your significant other, a souvenir from a memorable trip, a favorite aroma lamp, a flower in a pot - it can be any decorative element that brings joy! The main thing is that it reminds a person of his happiness.
Look for a new job
Ultimately, if you're tired of your current job, it's better to find a new one. Perhaps it’s worth saving up some money for the time that you will be looking for it or “taxiing” for your usual salary. Agree with your loved ones for support, ask your friends to find out if their companies have open vacancies.
If you don’t want to go back to the office, think about remote work, freelancing or your own business. In the end, try a related field or just a different company - perhaps it’s the place of work, and not its essence.
There is a lot of work, and if you have experience and enough perseverance, you will definitely find a pleasant alternative. The main thing is to remember that your life is in your hands, and only you decide how it will turn out.
