You may be wondering what to do if you hate your job.

You may lay awake at night agonizing about it, in fact.

Should I just quit? 

What will happen if I do? 

How can I survive it? 

Is there a way to make it better? 

All of the questions and difficult feelings don’t go away as you try to sort them through. It seems you are just digging the hole of your misery deeper and deeper.

“Just quitting” would be a whole lot easier if you didn’t need the paycheck, or even if you knew what you wanted to do next.  But the future is such a blur with not knowing what job or career is the right next move and the fear of quitting and then being out of work.

So you stay. . .

Feel Stuck In A Job You Hate? It Takes Its Toll 

There you are, between the proverbial rock and hard place, and it’s quite uncomfortable.

You start seeing signs of stress.

Maybe you’re short with the people you care about most at home, or you’re just distracted and not spending the time you want with them.

Maybe you feel grouchy and depressed.

Maybe you notice you’re not taking care of your health or you hardly want to get out of bed anymore.

Whatever it looks like for you, it’s safe to say that you’re feeling quite squeezed, and like you’re not really living – you’re just trying to get through.

Now You Start Thinking Crazy

Now, here’s where things get a little crazy.

You start to realize this is no way to live. And guess what? You’re right.

But your realization goes something like this, “This is no way to live. I can’t do this. I have to do something different. I need to quit. Tomorrow! I don’t care what happens. I just can’t live like this anymore. . . ”

Sound familiar?

The problem is that while your realization is spot on, what you may decide to do with that realization might get you into a bit of trouble.

See, some people at this point decide that they have hit a wall and that they can’t live one more minute in this terrible situation. It’s possible that’s true, and that quitting their job is the right choice for them at that point. Maybe things have gotten just that bad.

But it’s really important to think about whether you have other options to help you out of that situation, even though you have felt stuck up until now.

Some people use quitting their job as the ultimate take the plunge test, and from that moment on it’s do or die. They believe they can’t find the motivation to do something different any other way than to put their backs against the wall.

But I believe you can.

You don’t have to be in another “rock and hard place” situation to act and to get yourself into a new position that you like more.

What To Do If You Hate Your Job

There are certain things you should never do when quitting, and there are certain things you should do when you hate your job or when you want to quit. In fact, you may be able to use the time at a job you hate to your advantage. 

What To Do If You Hate Your Job: Using The Time To Your Advantage

You only have so much time, so it doesn’t make any sense to waste the time you do have while you’re stuck in this job.

Use it to plan, network, and otherwise build the bridge to your next thing.

Spend time figuring out exactly what you want to do. Whether you think about looking at your list of career coaches or not, knowing exactly where you’re going so that you don’t end up in a situation that’s just as difficult, or difficult in different ways, as this last situation is critical. You don’t want to be so upset about this current situation that you just fly into your next thing without being thoughtful. You’ll just end up right back in a bad situation. Instead, think it through.

Network. If I could introduce you to 10 billionaires, do you think you could do something with that and start making more money next year? Probably. Even if you can’t find 10 billionaires to become friends with, go out there and make friends with the kinds of people that interest you, who do the kind of work you want to be doing, and who inspire you.

Build the Bridge. You can spend time doing anything from research to taking classes to networking, and more. Basically you’re evolving yourself into the person you want to become. It’s work, but sitting around and grumbling about your job isn’t going to get you there. You have to get out there and do it. And you can! I believe in you!

What To Do If You Hate Your Job Top Survival Tips

Remember Self Care

When you’re feeling bad, it’s easy to let self care habits like nutrition and exercise slide. I’m sure I’m not the first person to tell you though, that it’s a vicious cycle. You feel crummy, so you don’t take care of yourself, and when you don’t take care of yourself you feel crummy, and it gets worse and worse.

Make a point to take care of yourself so you can be on top of your game.

Show Up As A Professional

No matter how much you hate your job, show up as a professional. You’re doing this for your co-workers, but you’re also doing this for yourself.

What does it say about you to show up as a professional every day? What positive things will people say about you? What will you learn or strengths will you uncover by showing up this way even to a job you hate?

Get Help

You do not and should not go through this process alone. Transition times are difficult. Think about it. When things are smooth sailing in life, you don’t need support, but when things are rocky and in transition, that’s when you do.

You spend so much time and mental energy at work, and so it makes sense that you should want support in every area of your career. Why wouldn’t you get support when you’re going through a rough time?

Get the support of a coach, a networking group, a mastermind group, your friends, family, a therapist or anyone else that you can rely on to help you navigate this transition.

Don’t Isolate Yourself

If you’re getting help, you’re not totally isolated, but you should also be out in the world having fun and taking your mind off your career too.

Go out with friends, throw a dinner party, go to the movies, spend an hour with a friend at a coffee shop.

Whatever you like to do, go out and do it.

It’s tempting to curl up with your good friends “Ben and Jerry” to watch a little Netflix for 5 hours straight to take your mind off things, but doing that consistently won’t help you see the world as a better place.

Maintain A Positive Mindset

It’s hard to maintain a positive mindset when you’re struggling with hating your job, but try.

What works for you?

Creating a plan and seeing that there is hope?

Reading personal development books?

Listening to inspirational talks?

Whatever works, do it.

You can’t create something new out of a dead mindset. You have to have a growth mindset and then you can create what you want next in your life.

Are you struggling with what to do if you hate your job? 

Leave your comments, questions, or story in the comments below!