How to Drag Your Butt Out of Bed for Work Tomorrow...and Look Forward to It!
Posted on September 02, 2019 by Gina DeRosa, One of Thousands of Life Coaches on Noomii.
Dreading work tomorrow? Career Coach Gina DeRosa shares three quick ways to get you through – or even looking forward to – getting back to the grind.
“My father taught me to work; he did not teach me to love it.”
― Abraham Lincoln
- – - – - -
I ran into someone at my day job last week who pulled me aside and began venting* about a handful of negative interactions she has had with her boss over time, which has created a lot of frustration and work dissatisfaction for her. Without prompting, “Mabel” said to me, “Even my husband asks why I keep putting up with this, and I tell him, ‘It’s the money.’”
Ah, yes – those golden handcuffs, the number one hook for most of us in the workforce, no matter how many loved ones or mortgages or hobbies or medical issues or other life stuff we have to subsidize.
Maybe your “not-so-great" work experiences are less painful than Mabel’s bad boss woes, but perhaps you are…
– working more hours than you would like to,
– getting passed over when it’s time for promotions,
– struggling with a super annoying colleague,
– in a department that is constantly restructuring, or
– feeling bored in your role but lacking ideas for your next challenge.
- – - – - -
In making the assumptions that you – like Mabel – need money to buy things and do stuff, and are dealing with a challenging work situation, I’ve outlined three ways for you to quickly brainstorm tactics to survive a job that you’re not 100% jazzed by but one that you’re not quite ready to move on from yet – for any reason.
1) Engage in activities at work that you look forward to leading or participating in. I’m not suggesting that you start a revolution; rather, keep it simple. For example, you could send quirky memes or leave Post-It notes for colleagues who deserve a compliment or need a laugh, or serve as an informal mentor for a junior colleague. Small gestures like this go a long way for others, who will return the favor for you when you need it.
2) Identify positive people at work that you can surround yourself with. I know this sounds overly simplified if not downright Pollyanna, but when you can be around people who will keep you distracted from a funk instead of commiserating with you and keeping you in that negative space, you’ll feel less weight on your shoulders and perhaps even see the hands on the clock move faster than usual.
3) Spot-check your reasons for sticking with the job for now. When the going gets tough, remind yourself about the personal values driving your decision to return to work each day. For example, perhaps your job gives you the privilege of working from home, which allows you to spend less time commuting to and from work and more time with your loved ones outside of work hours.
- – - – - -
Like Mabel, you have your own reasons to endure work challenges and the ways in which you choose to deal with them. This weekend, take some time to recharge yourself and get creative with how you can make it through your upcoming workdays until you’re ready to make a change.
Wishing you a great week ahead!
- G
*People know that my door is always open to them – even in the middle of the cafeteria.
