By Ekaterina Grishko

5:30 am. Your alarm goes off. Snooze. 5:40 am. Snooze. 5:50 am. Snooze… Is it winter that makes it so difficult to wake up in the morning? Or is it the lack of motivation for the job that you have to get up for?

What one does for living significantly affects the way they feel about themselves. But, unfortunately, current job market trends do not leave an average person with a lot of professional choices. Often, options are too limited, which forces you to temporally say goodbye to your most ambitious preferences and start with something smaller and less attractive. The biggest mistake that people tend to make in situations like this is to let frustration shape their attitude towards their job.

Nevertheless, in today’s reality having a job you don’t enjoy is better than not having a job at all. Thus, you have to learn to turn your dislikes into likes and to find positive aspects in things you absolutely hate. The tips below might help you.

Dress for success
Dress codes exist for a reason. It is a well-known fact that by putting yourself in certain clothes you automatically put yourself in a particular mood or mentality. Some of us are skeptical about it, but tricking your brain into seeing professionalism and competitiveness in a certain person or environment is a real thing. As a result, it gives you more motivation to perform appropriately and in accordance with what your look conveys.

Communicate with your co-workers more
Your social surroundings can be a great motivator. People naturally tend to come back to places where they feel heard, wanted and understood. It might be hard sometimes to agree with your co-workers on certain things related to your job. But life is not limited by the walls of your office. So, choose topics that will interest you and the people you work with and have nice and refreshing discussions during your coffee breaks or after work. Building healthy relationships this way is not just easy, it is absolutely essential for a positive perception of your workplace. Just a final note here – despite the fact that “I hate my job” type of conversations might attract a lot of supporters, it won’t contribute much into your attempts to get a more positive perception of your job. In fact, it might get you into trouble. So, try to stay away from complaining.

Make a change, small and big
No one is hired for no reason. Your work is always valid and important as long as the company decides to keep you. However, the best strategy for creating a better attitude towards your work is not to think about how the company assesses your contribution, but rather to focus on things that make you feel more important and special within the company. Try to find and do tasks that make you believe in the significance of your contribution – without forgetting about your core responsibilities, of course. It might be as simple as clearing up the storage space or helping a new employee figure things out.

Find ways to learn every day
For obvious reasons, learning opportunities help one’s feeling of self-worth. Learning not only increases your competitiveness; it also brings up your confidence and gives a sense of accomplishment which are incredibly important for any ambitious professional. So, the more opportunities to learn you embrace at your workplace, the more enthusiastic you will feel about your job. In fact, you can learn from every one of your co-workers – it doesn’t matter if you are a part of one team or if you belong to totally different departments. Approach your colleagues, ask them questions, and watch them perform things they are good at. Soon you will start noticing your own professional vision expanding, which will help you see your own obligations and responsibilities differently.

Ask for new duties
Following from the previous point, it is logical that new experiences can easily spark your interest in projects and tasks you have never been involved in. And that’s great! If you feel like your work routine does not make you happy at the end of the day, you might as well try yourself in something different. Be straightforward about it with your management, express your concerns and your desire to test your abilities in another area or task. Additional duties will certainly prevent you from feeling bored or useless; they will give you motivation and make it easier to appreciate your workplace.

It is hard to always find yourself in a happy place. This statement is particularly relevant when we talk about one’s career. The ability to remain grateful and find meaning in every event and situation is a skill. So, don’t ever say “I hate my job” – this phrase alone won’t turn things around and make it attractive. Remember, when you can’t change the environment, you have to change your perception of this environment to make it comfortable for yourself to function within it.

Ekaterina Grishko is a Marketing Coordinator at Ashton College. Founded in 1998, Ashton College has become a national and international force in the field of higher education.