How to Make the Best of Being Unhappy at Work
You can dislike your work and workplace and
still survive while you patiently assess and plan your next move,
according to
career experts. The key is to first recognize you have these feelings
and that
you will not have an immediate solution, advises Harvard University's
Dr. Timothy Butler, a senior fellow researcher and director of
career development programs at Harvard's business school.
"The existential nature of unhappiness is a
wake-up call," Butler said in a Harvard Business Review blog.
"There's some part of the self that is not being heard, that wants your
attention, and that's the issue."
So what do you do with those feelings? Do not act
rash or let your emotions get the best of you. Know that the feelings are
there, but keep them in line, advise experts. The last thing you want to do is
be known for outbursts and a source of problems in your career. Reputations on
the job matter, and people talk, say experts, so do your best to keep a
negative tongue and attitude at bay.
The other thing is to learn acceptance, said
clinical psychologist Catherine McCarthy in the same HBR blog: "Practice radical
acceptance. Tell yourself, 'This is where I am, this is where I'm going to be
for a certain amount of time.' You have more control over how you think than
you realize."
Another strategy is to come up with a fresh plan
after talking with friends, family or a career counselor. You may even approach
a boss and talk about new plans for the current job that will help further
motivate you and set you up for finding something positive in the current
position even if it's hellish.
Other advice from experts is to make a list of
things that you like about your current job, something China Gorman of the
Society for Human Resources Management (SHRM) calls a "benefits log."
(in the HBR blog post):
"You may be thankful to have health care and
other benefits. You may like your coworkers, or the fact that you have a short
commute. Maybe there's a great gym on-site, or you enjoy the opportunity for
travel or the mentoring you do. Listing what you do like about your job will
help shift your perception and keep you from feeling so trapped."
Another key is to understand that there are other
opportunities out there, even if it may feel like they do not exist.
"Stuck is just a perception, not a
reality," said Darcy Eikenberg, president and CEO of Coach Darcy in the
article "Are You Stuck in Job Prison"
for Careerpath.com "You're never really stuck until there are no more
options, and you'll never know what the options are until you start exploring
them."
One way to help re-energize your career,
especially for information technology workers, is to gain new skills, new
certifications and meet new people. Put yourself out there, network and invest
in your future.
"Learning new skills or technologies,
meeting new people and facing new challenges [are great ways] to keep your mind
off the fact that you aren't in love with your job," said Lauren Milligan
of ResuMayDay.com in the same Careerpath.com article.
