We ultimately have no control over what happens at work. It’s not normal for humans to experience this. You can put in ALL of the effort, and an algorithm can decide whether you get impacted in a layoff or not. That said, you 100% have control over how you handle it and what you build going forward.
“You 100% have control over how you handle it (a job that sucks) and what you build going forward”
Feel Angry, Then Take Action
No, you shouldn’t stuff down your anger or sadness about the situation. Get out for a walk in the sun, yell at the moon, cry, whatever you need to do. Great, and now we’re not going to stay in that state. Decide to carve time out during your day for hobbies, learning new skills, brushing up your resume, or if you need to leave the job, move toward that. Whatever you do, keep building on the side. A new hobby, a lawn care business, training to become an arborist, selling taco seasoning online, whatever. Start to take control.
Here Are Some Ideas to Use That 20 Minutes:
- Don’t work from home but want to? Spend your first 20 minutes researching what jobs you can do from home.
- If you work from home, spend 20 minutes during your workday learning something new during the day. Schedule it on your calendar.
- Use that 20 minutes to get outside and burn off stress
- Spruce up your resume for 20 minutes at a time. Talk about your accomplishments with absolute audacity. Your skills are better than you give yourself credit for.
- Learn a skill unrelated to work. Have you always wanted to learn to cook? Play piano? Give yourself that 20 minutes.
These are just a few ideas. These small adjustments over time will result in a change in who you are over time.
It Will Take Time
This will take time to see progress. If your work sucks and you are really stressed, your priorities may be burning stress off through exercise and updating your resume. If your job just sort of sucks, you may want to spend those minutes working on training for a new career, a side hustle, a new hobby, and extending your timeline. Yes, it’ll take time but in a week you’ll be so much further along than if you had just spent that time complaining.
Your Energy is Limited, Take a Little Back for Yourself
You have limited energy in a day. If your cup is full of water at the beginning of the day, and you pour a little out each time you spend time being worried, caring too much about drama at work, etc., you’ll end up with nothing to spare for yourself. Take a little time with family and get in a walk. Don’t get me wrong, it’s healthy to vent, just make sure you’re taking action too.
