I’ve had my fair share of depressing jobs. And, I’ve wallowed in the Sunday blues more than I’d like to remember.
But, those days are behind me.
And, while job depression (or JD) is not always about a job – here are some ideas that have helped me “suffer” the bad times a bit better.
Read something on the way to work
If your commute is longer than 10 minutes, have something enriching and fun to read on the way there. Even if you drive – invest in audio books.
They take your mind (partially) off the commute and reward you with the company of a “voice.”
Make at least one “work pal” – two is better
You need someone to commiserate with – work pals do that. Don’t make friends with the complainers or the embittered employee.
Opt for the cheery coworker with a sunny disposition. The last thing you need is a Debbie Downer adding to your JD.
Leave the office (preferably on your lunch hour) at least once or twice a week
If the only time you are outside your office is when you enter the building and leave again at 5 pm – you are dooming yourself to more misery. Make sure you leave your office building a few times a week so that you aren’t steeped 8 hours a day in a depressing environment.
Have a work idol
Work idols are kind of like mentors, but you may not take them as seriously. They’re mentor-lite. They’re people whose work you admire or have an outlook on professional life that you’d like to (loosely) incorporate into your own.
The reason to have this?
I like to adopt a WWSGD?* or WWPTD?** approach to things when I’m stumped on a problem at work. It helps me incorporate an alternate perspective and take the “me” out of my problem solving.
*What Would Seth Godin do?
** What Would Penelope Trunk do?