Showing up to a job you hate every day sucks! And when we spend a third of our lives at work, it can feel like absolute torture.

I know. I’ve been right there too. I am a chiropractor and while I love chiropractic, I hated be a chiropractor.

On paper, it looked like the perfect career for me. Unfortunately, I didn’t do the work to figure out what I really wanted before jumping all in.

So, whether you’re in the same boat or there’s some other junk involved, I’m here to help you.

In this episode, I’m going to tell you what to do when you hate your job so you can either improve your current situation or move on with success. And if you’re wondering whether you should quit or not – I’ll help you there too.

So, stay tuned!

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When you want to know what to do when you hate your job, it’s important to first identify what it is specifically that you hate about your job.

Is it a lack of interest in your job? The 2023 Gallup poll showed that 65% of the U.S. workforce is not engaged with work and are actually indifferent about it. 

Workplace stress and anxiety are also common issues, with 32% of workers reporting dissatisfaction with the level of their on-the-job stress. And 38% say their company is understaffed indicating high workloads that typically lead to an increase in stress and anxiety. 

This can also lead to work-life imbalances being a primary cause of hating your job.

If your job satisfaction stems from a toxic work environment, you’re not alone. 97% of workers indicated sexual harassment as being a problem. And interpersonal relationships at work aren’t helping. 53% of workers surveyed stated that they don’t enjoy going to work because of their coworkers. With 38% saying they don’t even trust their coworkers.

Maybe you hate your job due to a lack of growth opportunities. The Gallup poll showed that 19% of workers were dissatisfied with their opportunities for promotion. And only 32% of all people surveyed were completely satisfied with the amount of money they earned at their job.

With so many issues in the workplace, it’s not surprising to have some level of dissatisfaction in your job. However, it is important to evaluate what your reasons are specifically, so that you can address it appropriately.

Journaling can help you get your thoughts onto paper so you can examine what’s really going on. You can review how you feel and expand on why you feel that way.

You can also try writing a pros and cons list. Think about questions like, what do you like about your job? What do you hate about it? Is it the job itself, the industry, or something personal? Is it the nature of the work, the company culture, the people, or is it something else entirely?

Now that you have an idea of what the problem might be, we need to look at some practical action steps you can take to improve your circumstances.

Meditation and other mindfulness practices can help manage the stress and anxiety from your job. And with long-term practice, it can help you remain calmer, with less emotional turbulence, when facing difficult coworkers or high stress situations.

Start meditating or performing breathing exercises for at least 10 minutes a day. You can do guided mediations from an app like Insight Timer or find one on YouTube.

Guided meditations will help direct your focus better. When you are just getting started, it can be difficult to stop thinking about all the things in your life.

If you want more in-depth guidance, check out this episode on dealing with work stress or a toxic work environment.

Another solution on what to do when you hate your job is to adjust what you are focusing on.

Your brain is like a filter. It likes to take shortcuts because there is really just far too much information in the world to process. So, it filters out what isn’t relevant and lets through what it thinks we need and want.

So, whatever you’re focusing on, the brain looks at that and says, “Hey, she’s putting a lot of effort into looking for that. It must be important. Let’s look for more of that!”

If you’re focusing on how much you hate your job, then you are going to find more reasons to hate your job.

So, you have to switch it up. Start putting more effort into positive thinking. This means you need to stop complaining. You need to stop being angry. And you need to do whatever it takes to go in with a good attitude. So, if that’s listening to some good music or a funny podcast, do it. Get yourself in a good mood before you even get to work.

It can be really tough to change that bad habit.

So, if you need some help with that. Or you want some clear, step-by-step instruction on what you can do right now to stop hating your job so much. Then grab my free workbook.

I give you the exact 3 steps I used with my own job so I could feel more peace at work, improve my work relationships, and not dread my work week.

If that sounds like something you want too, grab my free workbook, What to Do When You Hate Your Job, by clicking the orange below.

Let’s consider, is there an aspect of your job that can be fixed?

You may think it’s too far gone, but have you considered speaking with your manager regarding any issues or concerns that you have? Things like a toxic work environment, a high workload, or poor communication.

Sometimes managers have good intentions, but they don’t know there are problems if no one speaks up.

If you are bored at work and feel like you are just going through the motions at this point, try talking to your manager about getting involved in new projects, roles, or adding on more responsibilities. This can help change things up for you and get your brain moving again.

Definitely check out this episode before speaking with your supervisor. In it I walk you through how to make a plan if you think approaching your boss can help.

What if your job itself isn’t really the problem? Maybe you are bored in life or feel a general lack of motivation that goes beyond just work. Do you have a feeling of being stuck in work but also with relationships or your daily routine in general?

Maybe your job feels like an area where you have the most control in making a change, like you think it will alleviate an internal dissatisfaction you have.

Do you constantly feel that there is something better on the horizon? Do you have a general lack of interest or enthusiasm that isn’t tied specifically to work?

If any of those resonated with you, there may be something bigger going on and the best thing you can do is figure out what the real problem is.

Again, journaling about how you are feeling is important in getting to the root of your dissatisfaction.

I was going through a really rough patch where everything in my life felt wrong. I was in the wrong career. I had a crap love life. And I had just recently moved, so I definitely had no social life.

Jumping into all kinds of change is not going to help. Sometimes action is good, but if you don’t have any clue where you want to end up, you are just asking for more problems. Trust me on this!

Do some reflection first. What do you really want in life? Write out what your perfect life looks like 10 years from now. Get specific. And if you don’t know exactly what it looks like, that’s okay. Write down how you want to feel. The answers will come as you go.

Focus on one area of your life at a time and have patience. It took me over 5 years to completely overhaul my life. Granted, I was figuring out for myself, but some things still take time. Rushing it only puts you where you don’t truly want to be.

And if your career is something that you want to focus on right now, go check out Episode 15 for more guidance.

Another thing that you should do is look for ways to add joy to your life outside of work. Pick up a hobby, join a sports club, find people that share your interests. You can also volunteer at an animal rescue or at the VA hospital. Do something that helps you feel good about yourself and your life.

Now, regardless of the real reason you hate your job, making new connections and building relationships can help you in the long run.

Start networking within your company. Build relationships that help you enjoy your day more, but also make connections in other departments that expand your opportunities. Think about cross-training, collaborations, situations where you are gaining more experience and beefing up your resume.

You also want to network outside of the company because this can lead to better opportunities for you in the future. It can also help you re-engage in your work or reignite a passion that you once had for it.

You can do this by attending conferences, joining associations within your field, or joining networking groups. Many will have opportunities to get together after work hours.

If you feel like your job is no longer challenging you or you know that you are ready to change careers, you should consider using your time to learn some new skills.

Does your company offer extra trainings or certification programs? Can you request to work with other departments to learn new skills?

Whether you want to stay on your current career path or you are needing a change, taking online courses or obtaining certifications on your own can help progress your career. The more you know, the more desirable you are in your field.

If leaving your job sounds more like heaven to you, consider starting a side hustle. Grow it while you still have the stability of your current job.

Write down your goals. How much do you need to make to work part-time? How much to replace your job entirely?

Starting a side hustle can also help give you a sense of purpose, making your work life more tolerable while you are there.

On the other hand, are you absolutely over your current career path? Been there! It can be difficult to even consider dropping everything and completely switching gears. Especially if you’re 40-something like I was!

Take a look at what you really want before rushing into anything. The last thing you need is to feel this exact same way in another 2 to 5 years.

Head over to this episode if you need help finding your dream career.

The Clash may be running through your head on repeat but I bet it’s not getting you any closer to the answer.

So let’s dig in to some questions that will. You already know why you hate your job:

If you review your answers to these questions, I think the answer will become more clear.

When quitting is the obvious right choice, you may be considering starting a new job search. Do this quietly.

I’ve heard plenty of stories of an employer finding out their employee was on the hunt for a new job and fired them on the spot. So, don’t tell anyone at your job that you’re looking or even post it on social media. Keep it to yourself.

Also, make sure you are looking for positions that align with your passions and skills. Don’t just go for the first job that comes along. The last thing you want is to be in the same scenario at your new job.

Make sure it’s a good fit for you. Make sure you know what you are looking for and stay positive about it. Remember, you get what you look for.

And trust God’s timing. Don’t make moves out of fear.

Hating your job doesn’t mean that you have to stay stuck. It doesn’t mean you are doomed to be miserable.

But taking the right steps to either improve your situation or move on is absolutely critical in finding your happiness.

Make a plan. Try different things. Start small and build on it.

The worst thing you can do is nothing at all. Having a plan to action will give you direction and hope which is absolutely crucial when you hate your job.

And if you need some guidance on some small action steps you can take right now, grab my free workbook, What To Do When You Hate Your Job. In it, I give you 3 crucial steps to start changing your outlook and attracting exactly what you want.

You can grab it by clicking the orange button below.

So, now you know what to do when you hate your job. What action step are you going to start with? Let me know in the comments below.