How to Stick it Out at Your Job When You Are Unhappy at Work

• Author: Mary Singleton
• Posted: 2024-09-15

Like many Americans, you may be unhappy at your job but realize that now may not be the most advantageous time to make a change. There are risks to looking for a job when you already have one, and this may be a time where you stick it out where you are. However, the stress and unhappiness of your job may be causing you damage. While it is easier said than done, this is a time to figure out how to exist where you are until times get better. Here are five tips for learning how to stick it out at your job until you can make a change.

Resolve Not to Quit

The old adage about it being easier to find a job when you have a job is true. Employers are not as attracted to a candidate who they do not feel is wanted by someone else. Moreover, they will ask questions about the circumstances of your departure and will wonder why you quit a job with no job on the horizon. They will think that this shows bad judgement on your part.

Moreover, the time when jobs were growing on trees is over as there are millions of unemployed people with job skills looking to go back to work. They are all competing for a limited pool of positions. Thus, you need to keep at it until you can find a new job.

Don't Become a Morale Problem

It is critical to keep your unhappiness to yourself on the job. If your employer is looking to make a cutback, they will get rid of the people who affect workplace morale first and feel like they are killing two birds with one stone. It is natural to want to sulk at work when you are unhappy, but doing so gives your employer a window into your thinking.

Even though it is hard, try to smile through your circumstances. It is better for your mental health and you do not want to become known as the problem employee. Your reputation follows you in the future wherever you go, and people may remember the circumstances under which you left your previous job. Maintaining a stiff upper lip falls under the heading of not giving your employer an excuse to terminate your job.

Be Discrete in Who You Talk To

This goes along with not becoming a morale problem. You never quite know what someone else's motivation is on the job. They may think that they can get ahead at work by either betraying someone else's confidence or providing the boss with what they think is useful intelligence. There is a long ling of people who thought they were having a conversation with a sympathetic coworker only to learn that their inner thoughts have been broadcast around the workplace. It is better not to trust anyone on the job. If you explicitly trust someone, limit your conversations to only that person.

Establish Some Perspective

Many people place a high emphasis on their career. While it is important, it is not everything in the world. We work to earn a living. Thus, a job is a means to an end, and it does not define who you are. The most important things in this world are your character and your relationships. While you spend a large amount of your time on the job, it will likely not be what people remember you for after you are gone. While it is little consolation for someone who is miserable at work on a daily basis, it is important to know what exactly a job is in the scheme of things.

Know That Things Will Get Better

Your unpleasant circumstances at work will last until either your job improves or you can find a new one. Know that you will not be stuck at your job forever, and your current unhappiness should have an expiration date. Hopefully, this will be enough for you to hold on until your change comes. Nearly everyone is able to find a new job after some time trying, and that will most likely include you either now or in the future. Knowing that things will get better for you and that you are stuck in a temporary circumstance should hopefully be enough to keep you getting out of bed each morning and earning a living.