This article is for you if you are among those who are still trapped in an 8-to-5 job either because you choose to or you have to. Regardless of your reason, here are some practical tips on how to survive the daily grind of being employed:
- Laugh a lot. The expression, “laughter is the best medicine”, is not just a cliché. Scientific studies have proven that people with a good sense of humour have healthier hearts. When people laugh, they undergo physiological changes. Laughter improves pulse and blood pressures. It promotes deeper breathing thus increasing oxygen supply into the bloodstream that brings nutrients throughout the system and enhances the immune system. Laughter decreases stress hormone and help diffuse anger. It also acts on the learning centres of the brain and so improves the ability to grasp more information. Good humour helps develop better perspective and ward off depression by replacing negative feelings with pleasurable emotions. It can turn monotonous tasks into games.
- Be optimistic. Sociological researches show that optimistic people perform better than pessimists. They enjoy better health because they are less likely to suffer from stress, or contract infectious diseases, or die prematurely. Optimists are proven to be more persistent so they do not give up easily and are able to cope better when faced with setbacks. By believing in themselves, they invite more positivity in their lives. They are able to view a hateful job as something just temporary rather than something they are stuck with for the rest of their life. This outlook can make a big difference in their mood.
- Live in the present. The Great Buddah once said, “The secret of health for both mind and body is not to mourn for the past, worry about the future, or anticipate troubles, but to live in the present moment wisely and earnestly.” He could not have been more right because when you live in the moment, you let go of your past and trust in the possibility of a positive and promising future. You appreciate and enjoy your life so you feel less anxious and fearful so you live a focused and peaceful life. One great way to achieve living in your moment is in mindfulness meditation.
Be kind to others. By doing small acts of kindness to others is actually being kind to yourself. Kindness is a natural anti depressant because it triggers the release of serotonin in our brain which affects learning, memory, mood, sleep, health and digestion. It dissipates stress and enhances the sense of well being, increases energy, and provides a feeling of positivity and self worth. Words of caution: in practicing kindness, avoid being condescending. This turns off the people you are trying help so rather than promoting peace in your workplace, you may sow discord instead.
- Look for lessons to learn. Nothing is ever as good or as bad as it may seem depending on how you look at it. Maintain a positive outlook even if things seem gloomy. There are always things to be learned even in bad situations so even if you hate your job, there are always opportunities for you to learn from it. For example, you can learn good judgement from bad experiences which are often the results of bad judgements in the first place.
- Preten Finally, when everything else fails, you can act out the role of a happy employee. Just like actors in a movie or play, try to assume the personality of the part you play. Eventually, you become the person you act out, at least during your office hours. It helps to ease your mind of all tensions and lightens your heart thus developing a positive attitude. You may even start to enjoy the play-acting and find happiness in the job you hate.
So in case you hate your job, do not just suffer in silence. The suggestions mentioned here can change the situation you are in.