Is your supervisor a bully or just a terrible person? Do you often feel like you want to cuss at your coworkers or customers? Are you spending time in the parking lot psyching yourself up for another day at a crummy job?
You aren’t alone.
Here are some tips to help you get by (non-homicidally) until you have move on to the next thing.
- Find your allies. In most cases, there’s at least one person in any setting who’s trustworthy and willing to listen. Hopefully some of these are in your department, but don’t be afraid to seek connection in different sections of the job. Allies you find can provide tips and advice, or simply be a sympathetic ear.
- Consider a side project. This obviously only works if you have time to do it, but if you can identify some things that make you happy, your burdens from the rest of your work will feel a little lighter. It’s also helpful to find things that bring you genuine happiness, either at work or away from it. It can feel like a big commitment to choose something outside your soul-sucking job, but the enjoyment you get will actually give you energy instead of taking more of it up.
- Cut back a bit. You don’t necessarily need to go all the way to quiet quitting, but you can level your efforts down a bit. If you’re unhappy, don’t feel you need to be performing at your peak. Do enough to feel like you’re completing your tasks, but not so much that it burdens you.
- Look into reducing your hours or taking time off. If you can still get the pay and benefits you need, consider simply trimming your hours a bit. If that’s not an option, your workplace should offer (unpaid) FMLA or something comparable, but rules will differ in terms of how to qualify. You might need a diagnosis of some kind from a medical provider, for example. If you can’t take several unpaid weeks, you can also look into something like short-term disability, which should pay you around 60% of your current earnings. You will need some sort of diagnosis to qualify or that, so have a conversation with your doctor or psychologist about the stress of the job.
- Use your vacation time! So many of us just let our vacation time sit there like a college student’s laundry pile. Don’t do this. Take shorter vacations when you can, and plan longer vacations whenever possible.
- And, of course, keep looking for the next thing. Try not to approach it with a sense of desperation to get out, since that increases the chances of landing something else that isn’t a fit. Instead, be picky but apply for things. Spend time on your applications, and nurture the relationships you have with people in those roles or industries.
I know it’s hard to be in a job you hate. Remind yourself that you didn’t to anything to deserve this, and that you’re taking steps to get out. And keep working towards that exit!
