When you think of it, work occupies a large portion of our lives. We will spend a great amount of our lifetime working to earn a living. As the old saying goes, we work to live. We have to work in order to earn money to buy the basics of life, food, water, shelter and other important things. But, it is a sad fact that many of us hate what we do for a living. Many of us are simply doing something that does not resonate with our true hearts desire. I admit, I was one of them, stuck in a dead end job with absolutely no chance of progression, a job that did not stimulate me creatively in any shape or form. 

But, how do you actually know if you hate your job and that it is time to move on?

Here are four pointers to actually tell whether you are in a job you hate. There are obviouslya lot more signs to look out for but, personally, I think these four are the biggest…

1. You are high on a Friday but feel low and dreading Monday on a Sunday evening.

Lets face it, if you hate your job, you must be someone who lives for Friday, the last day of the five day working week. You feel high and relieved that Friday has come about. It might also be that Friday is payday and yes, the weekend is upon you. I use to love Fridays and the best feeling was going home with that paycheck (because I use to get paid weekly). Saturday was a blast because I did not have to go into work and Sunday evening, I was miserable again because I knew that tomorrow, I would have to get up in the morning and start yet another working week. If that is you, then you are in a bad place. Because, as my dad always use to say to me, if I keep wishing it was Friday, then you are wishing your life away, and that is not how you should be living your life. Life is precious and when you do something that you love for a living, have a true passion for it, everyday, especially Monday, should be a Godsend.

2. You keep wishing you are someplace else.

Wishing you are anywhere but your workplace is another clear giveaway. It shows your head is someplace else because you are always thinking about the weekend, what you will do after work etc rather than focusing on your job. 

You say “Anyplace is better than this.”

And that is a sure fire sign that you hate your job and that it is time to leave.

3. You feel you no longer fit in.

Every work culture in every workplace is different, but wherever you are, it is important to fit in. Unless you work from home, the need to get along and work with any personality in your workplace is of paramount importance. The keyword is teamwork. That is the core of every workplace, people working together towards one goal. If you find that you longer fit in, that you feel alienated, isolated from your co-workers or hate the people you work with, then it is a sure sign that you should start looking for something else.

4. Your job affects your mood.

Another sure fire sign is to look at your moods after work.

Do you find yourself having no energy or motivation to do anything outside your work?

Do you always think about work when you are away from work?

Do you find your moods change where you feel depressed, moody and irritable?

And do you find that you are always arguing with your partner, family or even feel isolated from family and friends and the world in general?

If you have any of these, it shows your job is affecting your overall mood and health. You need to ask yourself if you feel like this now, imagine how you will be several years into the future.

What kind of future are you creating for yourself, your family if your job is affecting your overall mental health and wellbeing?

You owe it to yourself to make that positive and lasting change in your life. The answer is simple and its nearly everyone’s opinion if you tell them you hate your job. 

Find another job or do something else that will make you happy.

It is easy said than done. Especially in this day and age when the economy is in a bad state due to the pandemic caused by the Coronavirus. But, as hard as it is, you owe it to yourself to try. Life is too short and precious to be spent wasting your time doing something that does not resonate with your hearts desire. Your feelings are your life’s compass. It is easy to tell if you are not on the right path because of the negative feelings that come with doing something you hate. 

The question is, are you willing to take a step back in your life in order to make things better even if it means taking a job you will enjoy that pays less?

Or making cutbacks in your life if you decide to chase your dream?

Sometimes we hate and fear change, but you need to understand that change is the only thing that is constant in life. Nothing ever stays the same. By accepting change and be willing to make the jump from a job you hate to something you will love will guarantee long term happiness.

Remember, working hard at something you don’t care about and hate creates stress. Working hard at something you love creates passion, and passion equals happiness.