You must have come across adults who are always hating on their jobs and only see it as a means of earning money and surviving. If you had had such an experience too, you probably would have gone through a series of emotions, from anxiety to anger and burnout.
Hating your job in today’s time has become more prevalent as people are talking about it more—the Sunday scaries, the pinging of notifications on Slack, to-do lists, and even getting out of bed—everything makes you irritated and emotionally drained.
So while it is not good that you hate your job as it can have serious consequences for your other areas of life, understanding the reason behind it and what you can do to change it is what is important. Continuing the job you hate will only make you more gloomy and sad.
So let’s see what can be done if you have a constant feeling of “I hate my job.”
What to Do if I Hate My Job
Before looking into what to do if you hate your job, it is important to see what the reasons are that you hate your job. The reasons can be both external and internal; however, it is important to look into them so you can devise a plan for yourself accordingly.
According to Gallup research, most people hate their jobs because of their managers. Having a good manager is extremely important for having fun and making mistakes openly without feeling guilty or shameful. Apart from this, most people do not feel engaged in their jobs and half of them do not trust their employees.
While this may seem normal to a lot of people, it actually hinders your mental and physical health to a great extent. It can lead to severe mental health issues like burnout, depression, anxiety, low-self esteem, or simply having no motivation to live a happy life. This can further lead to migraines, headaches, high blood pressure, and other major physical illnesses.
Even though the previous generations didn’t talk much about this and glorified the idea of overtime, hustling too much, and working 24x7, it is somewhere or another embedded in our minds to work more and do more than what is required, which often leads to hating your job even though it could have been handled in a better manner.
Not only this, but it also depends on external circumstances like what kind of manager you have, what life conditions you are living in, and whether you even know where your interest or passion lies.
So, to sum it up, there are a variety of factors that can make you feel like “I hate my job." Therefore, it is important that you sit with yourself and understand the reason behind these strong emotions properly before taking a full-fledged decision.
10 Steps to Take if You Hate Your Job
If you have a clear understanding of why you hate your job or wish to understand why you get the constant feeling of “I hate working," here are 11 steps on what to do when you hate your job:
1. Sit with yourself
If you get that feeling of “I hate my job” the next time you are going to the office or simply think of working, sit and talk to yourself and ask yourself relevant questions to understand why you hate your job—is it you? Is it anyone from the office? Or is it because the job doesn’t lie in your area of interest? Doing this will make you understand what to do next.
2. Journaling
If you are not a person who wants to sit and talk to themselves, you can try journaling. Whenever you get hit by the thought of “ugh, I hate working," take a piece of paper and start scribbling whatever you are feeling on it. It doesn’t have to make any sense; you simply have to pour your thoughts and feelings into a piece of paper so you can comprehend afterwards the very reason of “why do I hate my job so much?"
3. Examine your passion
Sometimes the reason for hating your job is not working in a field or industry that excites you or pushes you to give your best. If that is the case, it is important to examine your passion and see what your hobbies are, what ticks you off, and what might help you let go of the feeling, “I hate my job so much.”
4. Check what you hate about your job
To get into the depth of your feeling of “I hate my job," it is important that you check what it is that you hate about your job so much. Make a pros and cons list to examine this properly and if it is something that can be rectified, do that but if it is something that is out of your control and the only solution is to change jobs, do that.
5. Look after your mental health
Working and making a living are important parts of life but understanding that work is just a mere part of life is even more important to keep your mental health in check. It is very easy to get carried away by the hustle and bustle of life; things like saving up, doing good professionally, or even giving your best to get that promotion can make you exhausted from the inside. So while it is important to go after your dream career, it is also important to look after your mental health.
6. Explore your options
Not everyone has the leverage to explore their options or just quit to find their dream career, but if you feel that is what you want to do, you can also do it by doing things a bit strategically. You can keep your current job to save money while also exploring things side-by-side to see what piques your area of interest. This is called moonlighting and many people do it for the sake of earning more money. You can even do it to see what career makes you happy from the inside.
7. Keep ample savings
If you have made up your mind to change jobs or explore your options, keep your savings in check so that you are able to survive for a few months before you can land a new job. You never know how long it will take you to find "the job,” but to get away from the feeling of “I hate my job," you will have to put in double the effort to get what you want.
8. Start job searching
While working for the same company that makes you say, “I hate working,” it is also important that you start job searching side-by-side and give interviews to save up your time and land a job of your liking. It might take a while, but making your accounts on every possible platform, networking with people, and using referrals can help you amazingly.
9. Do inner work
Looking for your new dream career is important but doing inner work and keeping yourself balanced from the inside are also important. Try not to fall into the void of anxiety or overthinking thoughts, as they will stop you from exploring your passion or getting out of your comfort zone. However, it is important that you take that step anyway and provide your inner child with the happiness it deserves.
10. Seek professional help
If nothing seems to work out and you see yourself running on a hamster wheel, seek professional help right away. A therapist or career counselor will be able to help you understand how to navigate this difficult situation properly while also boosting your confidence to go after things that make you truly happy.
Should You Quit Your Job if You Don’t Have Another Job Lined Up?
This is a very subjective question that can only be answered by you; however, we can assist you by helping you with certain questions that you must ask yourself before you make such an important decision. Ask yourself questions like:
- What does your financial situation look like?
- Would you be able to survive without a stable income?
- Do you have a side hustle or a project that can help you generate some income?
- Do you have any other person to look at apart from yourself?
- Can you change your role internally?
- Have you considered everything within your company?
- Can you manage to be in the current role for a while and look for job opportunities side-by-side?
- Can you work part-time while looking for other opportunities?
- Do you have healthcare or medical benefits?
- Is there someone else in your family who can help you run the household?
Before you submit your resignation letter, answer these questions for yourself so you can get clarity on whether you should quit your job if you do not have anything else. And if you are not able to find an answer to this, talk to professional experts and analyse your situation.
Share With Now&Me Experts
When you are at a crossroads as to whether to continue the job that makes you go, “I hate my job so much," or leave it in between to chase after your dream career, talk to Now&Me experts and share your feelings with them to get an answer on this.
If not, you can even share your feelings with the Now&Me community and ask for help from people who have been in the same place as you to look at your situation more objectively and from a surface level.
Nonetheless, it might be a difficult situation as of now but you will come to the other side in no time. Download the app to smooth this process and get help instantly.
Sources
What do you do if you hate your job? Try these 9 tactics. Published June 2022. https://www.betterup.com/blog/what-to-do-if-you-hate-your-job
'I Hate My Job': How to Cope When You Feel This Way. Published May 2023. https://www.verywellmind.com/i-hate-my-job-7485131
Now&Me articles are written by experienced mental health contributors and are purely based on scientific research and evidence-based practices, which are thoroughly reviewed by experts, including therapists and psychologists with various specialties, to ensure accuracy and alignment with current industry standards.
However, it is important to note that the information provided is not a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Individual circumstances vary, and it is advisable to consult with a qualified mental health professional for personalized advice and guidance.
FAQs
If you get the feeling that 'why do I hate working so much?' it is important that you first understand where it is coming from, and then you can tackle the situation accordingly.
This is a subjective question that only you can answer. But before quitting your job, ask yourself relevant questions like, What is your financial status? Is their someone who is relying on you? and if this will cause a huge disruption for you and your family?
Work is not supposed to always be stressful; however, if your work environment is toxic and doesn’t value you or your work, it can become stressful.
If you are a person who is not able to stay at a job and is always job hopping, you might be running away from something, you might be too scared to stick to a job, or you might not know where your passion lies. To understand this in-depth, it is best to talk to a career counselor.
You can quit your stressful job by weighing the pros and cons of your company and if it is something that is hindering your mental peace, talk to HR or your manager, put up your resignation, and start looking for jobs side-by-side.
If you are constantly feeling unhappy at work, it might be your body or emotions signaling something deeper. If it is something that needs your immediate attention, it is important that you look into it in due time so it doesn’t get worse.