Perhaps you once loved the job and now your enthusiasm has waned, perhaps you are realizing that the position is different than you imagined, or maybe you never even liked it in the first place. Either way, this is what to do if your 9-5 is more pain than pleasure:

See the Bright Side and Challenge Yourself

Even though you don’t love your job, it can’t be all bad. To get yourself through the day, focus on the aspects that you do enjoy about the experience. Perhaps you are good friends with a couple of your co-workers, you get employee perks, or you just love the free donuts in the break room. Pick out the things that you do enjoy and savor them, while trying not to focus on the bad. Another way to get yourself excited about getting up in the morning is to challenge yourself more. Perhaps you hate your job mostly because you feel bored and uninspired? Is there a new project you can take on or a new skill you can learn that will get you interested again?

Make a Plan to Get Out

The recently deceased founder of Apple Inc., Steve Jobs, once said, “When you wake up and you look in the mirror, ask yourself, do I really want to do what I’m about to do today? And if the answer is no too many times in a row, then you’ve got to change and do something because life is short!” If you truly hate your job, it’s time to make a plan to change your situation and do something different. Think about what your ideal work environment would be, and start to make a plan to transition from your current job to one that will make you happier.

Use It for Your Own Goals

Now that you have decided to transition out of your unsuitable job into a better one, don’t quit right away. It is much easier to find a new job while you are still employed, and continuing to work while you job search will eliminate any financial pressure so that you can take the time to find the job you really want. You can also use your job to achieve your new goals, such as switching to night shifts so that you can work while going back to university or taking employee training courses that will help you get your new position. Be discrete though, and don’t get caught printing out copies of your resume on the company computer!

Don’t Burn Your Bridges

When you finally get that new position and are ready to leave your despised job, you might be tempted to walk right up to your boss and finally unload that tirade of frustration that you have kept festering for so long. Don’t. Not only is this truly immature and unprofessional, but word gets around and you never know if your new employer might call your old boss for a reference. Always leave on good terms and be respectful.

Dealing with a job that you hate is not a fun experience, but don’t let it ruin your life.

Life is too short to spend 40 hours feeling miserable every week, so take action and do something about it!

What’s your worst boss story? Please share!