I Hate My Job - Little known solutions

"I Hate My Job" Little Known Solutions G’day. I’m Michelle McQuaid, and welcome to Thank God It’s Friday! This week’s letter comes to us from Jenny who writes, “Michelle, I hate my job. I don’t know how to put it more positively than that. Lately, it’s become really boring, and the team I’m with aren’t very friendly. I can’t afford to quit. In fact, I need to succeed at this role if I’m to find a way out. Any tips on how I make the days more enjoyable and the job more rewarding?” Now not too long ago I found myself in a similar situation. I was asked to take on a role that I really didn’t want to do. It was the kind of work I didn’t enjoy, and it was with a team that had had a lot of problems. Unfortunately, in order to get ahead, it was exactly the kind of role that I needed to be successful in. Luckily, I understood how hating our jobs can impair our brain’s ability to function in three important ways. Firstly, it narrows our field of peripheral vision so that we notice fewer opportunities around us to do well at work. Secondly, it makes us think more about me and less about ‘we,’ making us more selfish and less collaborative with our colleagues, which can damage our relationships. Thirdly, it changes the way our brains think. We’re not as good at seeing the big picture, at connecting the dots, and finding new and innovative ways to do things. Left unchecked, the constant stream of negativity when we hate our jobs can cause us to spiral down, and down, and down, until our performance is completely languishing. Now my friend Caroline Adams-Miller introduced me to a great tip as I took on this role to ensure I didn’t sucked down into that spiral of negativity. She encouraged me to build some jolts of joy into my day, things that would put a smile on my face and restore to my brain those happy chemicals that allowed me to think in more expansive, tolerant, and creative ways that would ensure my performance was much better. What puts a smile on my face might be very different from what puts a smile on yours. For me, it was things like loading up my iPod with my favourite songs so I could put in my earphones when I needed to escape to a happy place. I also made sure each day that I’d got out and ate my lunch under a tree, and got a bit close to nature and had some time just relaxing away from the office. Finally, my failsafe was a series of YouTube clips that were guaranteed to give me a giggle ready loaded on my computer. Other proven jolts of joy that people use might be a few minutes meditation, getting out and walking around the block, or reaching out and calling a friend and talking about anything but your job. By now you’ve learned that knowing without doing is a waste of your effort, so be sure to take this week’s challenge and step it up. Head on over to michellemcquaid.com and share with us what are your favourite jolts of joy? How do you put a smile on your face at work when everything seems to be pulling you down? If you like this video, be sure to subscribe and share it with your family and friends. And if you want more great tips on how to make work rewarding, be sure to head over to michellemcquaid.com and sign up for our free email updates where you’ll hear it all first. In the meantime, stay strong. You are good enough, and the world needs you to shine your light in the way that only you can. Thanks for watching ChelleMcQuaid TV. I’ll see you next week where we’re going to talk about the dirty little secret of kindness. Take care. La-la-la-la-la la-la la-laaaa! G’day, and welcome to Thank God It’s Friday! "I Hate My Job" Little Known Solutions 1