Feeling Unhappy About Your Job? Read MyStory
I know what its like to wake up every day and feel miserable just with the thought that I have to go to work. Waking up every day with the same feeling, waiting desperately for the weekend and before you know it youre repeating the same process over and overagain.
You know you cant keep up with it, but you also dont know what to do, youre so tired you lack the energy needed to find a way out. So you feel stuck, you dont move. You cantmove.
It doesnt matter what other peoplethink
People around you probably dont get why you complain if you have a cool job that pays the bills and provides stability. What else could you wantmore?
Oh, wake up and feel motivated to work? Actually enjoying most of your day instead of hating everything you need todo?
I get you. I know what its like to just feel youre in some dark hole, waking up every day to the same story. I used to hate to talk about my job outside of working hours, I just wanted to escape that world and forget about it for some hours. It made me feel anxious, I wanted some change, but it felt there was no way out. I felt miserable most of the time, and it started to affect my personal life too, I just started to feel empty and with no energy to do anything, even the things I enjoyed themost.
You need to takeaction
I knew I couldnt keep up like that, I needed to do something different, break the vicious cycle I was living in. I thought about applying to the same role at a new company, but I knew that sooner or later I would end up in the same situation. I worked as a Frontend Developer, I used to enjoy analytical thinking and problem solving but eventually, everything became mechanical, there was no creativity involved, I just felt like a machine repeating moves over and over again. I felt dull, it clearly wasnt the right career forme.
But what could I do? I had never worked in another area, programming was all I knew. So, I started looking into different roles from several companies and saw what kind of open positions there were. And it was a world of careers I didnt even knowexisted.
The best way to learn is bydoing
Ok, I discovered a new world of possibilities, but I couldnt just pick one randomly, I wanted to pursue a career I was passionate about. If theres one thing Ive learned as a programmer is that the best way to learn is by doing. So, I decided to start a side project. Ive always loved every kind of creative craft so I created a brand of hand-embroidered t-shirts, RabiscoAtelier.
The idea behind the project was to expose me to several challenges that I would have to overcome, Id be exposed to a lot of different fields and this way, maybe I could find something I really loved to do. I always worked on the project before my actual job, it helped me wake up motivated and fight the bad morning thoughts.
Get out of your comfortzone
To anyone feeling lost, I recommend starting a new project. It worked out for me, the idea is to just get out of your comfort zone and explore new things. The truth is, if we want to change we have to try something different, otherwise nothing will change and well be stuck forever. This is valid for anything inlife.
Insanity is doing the same thing over and over and expecting a different result.??UnknownAuthor
So, did I ever find something I was really passionate about? Yes! Owning a brand made me learn and explore a ton of different skills, but there was one that outshined the others: I fell in love with Marketing. To be honest, it had always been a theme I enjoyed reading about, so it made sense I was having so much fun learning aboutit.
Now what?
Ok, I figured what I wanted to do next. But how? To be honest, I took drastic measures but you dont have to do it like this. I quit my job to pursue a new career and I started a course about the foundations of Digital Marketing.
Taking this course showed me different paths I could take into the Marketing world and made me realize what suited me the best. Ive always enjoyed writing, so when I found out that being a copywriter or content creator/writer was a thing, I started learning more and more on myown.
Right now, Im in the process of finding a job. A job I love, and it feels so exciting!
Look, I know not everyone can just quit their job and dont work for a few months. I did it because I was in a position where I was comfortable with that move and also because it was having a great impact on my mental health. I know its harder, but just like the side project, you can keep your job and take classes at the same time. Then, when you find a new job that youre passionate about, you can finally quit your currentjob.
Its a long process and not an easyone
Changing careers is hard, it doesnt happen overnight and theres a long journey to hike. Dont give up, do it for yourself. I know you can. Theres a way out, break thecycle.
We spend more hours at work than with our family and friends, if you feel unhappy about your job it can have a really big impact on your life, in your relationships and your mentalhealth.
I hope to have inspired you to take some kind of action. Share your thoughts in the comments, Id love to read yourstory.
Feeling unhappy about your job? Read my story was originally published in Startup Stash on Medium, where people are continuing the conversation by highlighting and responding to this story.
