3 Ways to Survive in a Workplace You Hate

Allison Doyle, a job search and employment expert with many years of experience in human resources, career development and job searching, asserts, “Besides being happier, you’ll do a better job if you’re working at a job you love or at least like.”

For the record, I am happy with my job – my full-time job as a financial research analyst, that is – which is probably the reason why I, I believe, am good at it. (Note the emphasis on I believe as there’s a good chance that the people who matter at my workplace think otherwise.)

Image courtesy of Michal Marcol / FreeDigitalPhotos.net

I am not the best there is in the entire enterprise, that much I know, but I normally get better-than-expected marks, and striving to be better at what I do is something I welcome with open arms.

I have made some friends, my hampaslupa (read: simple, down-to-earth, sometimes ridiculously funny) friends whose company I most enjoy, friends who make the ride a lot worthwhile. There are ups and downs, I must admit, as no workplace is perfect, but at the end of the day, it all boils down to one thing: Will I be better off working for some other company?

“It’s just so lame to find yourself trapped in a place where you have to spend a good chunk of your time because you need the pay to survive, especially when you don’t have any other job prospects.”

Maybe.

Maybe not.

But I’m keeping my job because doing something I’d rather be doing and receive regular pay for it is not something that falls down from heaven like rain in a downpour. There had been some burnout modes in the past, and I lie if I say thoughts of moving on have never occurred to me, especially since work is miles away from home.

But after careful consideration of the pros and cons, staying is still, by far, the better choice.

Why people stay in jobs they hate
Lucky me, you might say, but what about the people who hate their jobs, or probably not the job per se, but the workplace teeming with toxic co-workers, toxic bosses, toxic time lines, toxic policies – toxic “gases” everywhere they turn to – those who simply struggle and force themselves to go to work just so they can punch in on time?

Gem, a former colleague and friend of mine once said something along these lines: “It’s just so lame to find yourself trapped in a place where you have to spend a good chunk of your time because you need the pay to survive, especially when you don’t have any other job prospects.”

I say he hit the nail hard on the head.

Let’s face it. People work to pay the bills, and some others for the sheer satisfaction of it. A lot of people stay in jobs they hate because of the poor economy, and from the way things are going, the economy is probably not going to move up the scale dramatically for a while.

To make matters worse, the change you’ve been so dreaming of in your workplace is probably not going to happen anytime soon.

If you find yourself trapped in a job you hate but can’t quit, I have here three things to consider before you decide to throw in the towel and walk away:

1. Choose to be happy

Happiness is a state of mind. Happiness is a matter of choice. Accept that there are things you just can’t change no matter what you do. Consider the things that you really like about your job and try to do more of those, if you can.

You can also do simple things like hanging out with colleagues you enjoy being with during lunch break and swapping silly stories with them to get a good laugh. Stay away from rumor mongers, or if you can’t, don’t take them seriously because they are likely to dampen your spirit.

Also, think of the time you spend at work as time when you can hone your skills and enhance your knowledge, not just to complete the mandated eight hours to get a full day’s pay.

2. Keep your eye on the prize

There are perhaps no other words to properly put this than the way another good friend of mine sagely did. To survive a difficult workplace, be like a horse with blinders, or blinkers, or winkers, or whatever else they call them. Don’t look backwards or sideways, just keep your eyes fixed on whatever it is you’re there for.

Simply put, don’t let office politics affect you and deter you from achieving your goals.

3. A day has twenty four hours

The moment the clock strikes five in the afternoon (or whenever your shift ends), it’s time to switch from office mode to some other mode of your life. Remember not to bring your office woes at home as this may affect your family and your relationship with them.

• Spend the rest of your time doing something you love, like a hobby.
• Get into sports.
• Volunteer to do social work, or perhaps learn something new.
• Read a book.
• Create a scrapbook.

The idea is for you to never forget that your job and everything that goes with it doesn’t have to haunt you twenty four hours a day.

If all else fails though, step back and detach yourself from the situation. Never quit in haste, telling yourself, “I’ll show them.” Rather, think things through and be objective in determining what’s ultimately good for you.

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Maricel Rivera

Maricel is a regular mom juggling her time between being a mom and her full-time profession as a researcher for a top-notch financial firm. Add blogging and freelancing to the mix, and it's one crazy ride. But somehow she manages to stay sane. Maricel loves to write about various stuff - from technology to personal finance, from social issues to life in general.

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