Tired of working your life away? Here are some alternatives.

Work can be stressful for anyone, even if you love your job. Still, there are times when the situation can become nearly unbearable. What do you do when work is simply miserable and you’re tired of working?

The key is figuring out the source of your work related unhappiness, finding some solutions, then creating a future where you’re happy with your career path. Keep reading for steps you can take towards a happier work life.

Are you tired of working full time?

You put in 40 hours a week at a job you dislike. Now, add commute time to that. Don’t stop there. You’ve also got the time you spend off the clock on work related tasks.

Chances are you answer your phone when your boss calls, and respond to work related emails.

That doesn’t leave much free time. After you take care of your obligations outside of work, there’s barely enough time for family, friends, hobbies, or self care. You have to sleep sometime, right?

It’s hard to imagine that life is supposed to be like this. In fact, many people believe that the 40 hour work week is obsolete. We aren’t at our best when we work 8 to 10 hour days. That’s when you start to reach burnout.

If you wonder why you’re working so many hours when so many advancements in technology and automation exist, you certainly are not alone.

Are you tired of working for someone else?

CEO pay is skyrocketing. Workers’ wages are stagnant. It hardly seems fair to labor away while someone else enjoys the fruits of your labor.

It’s even worse when you feel unappreciated, unfulfilled, and shut out of the decision-making process. When you’re tired of working for someone else, you dread starting your day.

To top it off, you end your day feeling frustrated and exhausted.

So what is causing this feeling?

You can’t create a happier work life without digging a little deeper and finding the source of your dissatisfaction. What is it about your current situation that makes you so unhappy?

Hours

You don’t mind working hard. You don’t mind putting in long hours. But, doesn’t it all seem a bit arbitrary? When you work long hours without reason, that’s frustrating.

Worse, many of us are forced to work hours when we aren’t at our productive best.

Working all of these hours means that you aren’t rewarded for being productive, having great ideas, or your creativity. Instead, you’re simply paid for showing up, and being at work for a certain number of hours.

All too often, you watch others receive the same compensation when they don’t work nearly as hard as you!

What if you could work at a new job with a flexible schedule that allowed you to work when you were full of energy, but not when you were tired or sluggish? What if you were paid for what you accomplished?

Chances are, working long hours wouldn’t be so frustrating anymore, and you could say adios to burnout and hello to a new work-life balance.

Commute

On average, we spend 200 hours per year commuting. That may not seem like a lot, but that’s 200 hours away from the people you love, and 200 hours that you could spend doing something else.

Do you live in a major metropolitan area? If so, that probably means your commute is even longer.

A frustrating commute to your current job may not seem like a big deal, but it can really sour the time you have in the evenings. You spend too much time trying to shake off the stress and irritation of it all, not enough time connecting with your family.

Home life

If you aren’t happy with your job, that’s bound to bleed over into your personal life. Maybe your family thinks you spend too much time at the office.

They miss you. Maybe you come home in a foul mood. Even if you try to cover it, it surely shows through.

Unfulfilling

Do you love what you do at your current job? Are you good at it? If you can’t answer those two questions with a confident ‘yes’, it’s almost impossible for you to be happy with your job.

Of course, nobody is going to love every moment of every job. However, you should love the work that you do overall, and feel as if you are accomplishing something and enjoy being in your work environment.

Stress/mental health

Your mental health is as important as your physical health.

Stress and mental health struggles can be difficult to navigate, especially when burnout sets in. If you’re feeling mentally exhausted from work, it may help to assess your cognitive well-being using tools like the Brief Interview for Mental Status (BIMS) Score, which provides insights into your mental health status.

When the work you do elevates your stress levels, or leaves you depressed and anxious, it’s time to make a career change. This will eventually (if not already) affect your personal life, and your physical health, too.

3 Things to do when you are tired of working

The good news is that there may be some things you can do to make your current situation a bit more tolerable. Some of the following advice might apply to you.

1. Reduce hours

If your budget isn’t too constrained, and your current job employer will allow it, consider cutting back on the hours you work. Delegate work to others. Set firm limits with your employer.

Sometimes, setting boundaries will get you further in your career than continually saying, ‘yes’ to every request.

2. Take a sabbatical

Gap years aren’t only for college students. They can benefit working professionals as well. You could take a few months off to spend with your family, to further your education, even to do some volunteer work.

Still want to say connected with your job? Explore the option of working on a long term, professional project.

3. Focus on your wellbeing

What if you can’t change much about your job? What if you aren’t ready to make a change? Then, you focus on your wellbeing in every other way that you can.

Get enough sleep. Exercise regularly, even if that’s just taking a long walk. See your doctor. See a therapist if you need to. Spend time with loved ones. Pursue your interests.

When it’s time to quit your job

Sometimes, there’s just no way to make your current job any better. You’re tired of working, and for good reason. If your job doesn’t suit your needs, if you can’t grow in that job, or you simply don’t care anymore, it’s time to quit your job. (You can even quit if you’re under contract.)

Yes, that’s easier said than done. It may take time to get everything in order before you get a new job. However, this may be your best solution.

Finding your passion

Wouldn’t it be wonderful if you were never tired of working again? You can do that if you find your passion. There’s an intersection of loving what you do, and being good at it. Find that, and you will find your passion.

Never work another day in your life

The ideal day at work doesn’t feel much like work. When you love what you do, time flies. You end each day feeling satisfied. You wake up feeling eager to start again.

For many people, this means going to work for themselves. The benefits are obvious:

• Control over your schedule
• Pursuing your talents and passions
• Working with people that you want to work with
• Earning an income based on your talents

Are you ready to work for yourself? Why not see if that’s the right choice for you, right now.

What’s next?

Even the best jobs can get you down. The problem comes when bad days at the office become the norm. When that happens, it’s time to figure out the source of your unhappiness. Then, make a plan, and put it to work.

Putting that plan in place, and deciding to go freelance and start a business is no small feat. There will always be lessons learned, but being equipped with the right tools and knowledge along the way can help. Here’s our top tools for freelancers, the step-by-step guide on how to start a blog, our list of the best business books, and a list of freelance job sites to get your feet wet.

Best of luck on your journey to a new, happier you!

Keep the conversation going...

Over 10,000 of us are having daily conversations over in our free Facebook group and we'd love to see you there. Join us!