Constantly feeling negative at work? Here’s what you can do

by Maya Afilalo

So, you don’t like your job. Let’s be real—a lot of people don’t.

Early in your career, you’re probably not going to be working your dream job. Maybe you need to acquire experience, pay debt, accumulate savings, or learn skills before you can move on to something more meaningful. In fact, only 1 in 4 employees under the age of 30 see their job as a “career” (44% see it as a stepping stone to a career, and 33% see it as just a job to get by). And sometimes, what starts as a “dream job” becomes stale with time.

If your work doesn’t fulfill you, what can you do?

Reinvigorate your work

There’s a tool that can make you happier while you work, no matter your job. Positive psychologists call it “job crafting.”

“You can put personal touches on how you see and do your job, and you’ll gain a greater sense of control,” write Dr. Amy Wrzesniewski, Dr. Justin Berg, and Dr. Jane Dutton, professors of organizational behavior and leading researchers in the field. “It involves redefining your job to incorporate your motives, strengths, and passions.”

There are three types of job crafting: adjusting your tasks, investing more in relationships, and thinking differently about your work. 

Research has found that job crafting improves engagement and satisfaction, and decreases burnout. It also facilitates mobility to new roles within an organization—in other words, it can help you land that dream position.

“Perhaps job crafting’s best feature is that it’s driven by you, not your supervisor,” say  Wrzesniewski, Berg, and Dutton.

We’ll walk through all three kinds of job crafting. Pick whichever is best for your situation, or try multiple!

Adjust what you do

The first kind of job crafting involves tweaking your tasks to align better with your skills and interests. 

What work-related side projects can you pick up that you find meaningful and interesting? Even if it feels like your role is set in stone, there are often little things that can make work more enjoyable in the present and set you up for future success. 

For example, if you work in HR but you’re interested in law, you might read articles about employment law in your spare time. This builds important expertise for your career, and could also lead to a valuable contribution at work.

Alternately, can you double down on parts of your job that you already enjoy?

“A sales manager, for instance, might take on additional event planning because she likes the challenge of organizing people and logistics,” explain Wrzesniewski, Berg, and Dutton.

Invest in relationships

Another way to job craft is to build stronger or different relationships with the people you work with.

For example, if you love teaching, you might mentor an intern or recent hire. Or, try looking outside of your team or division. “An example of this might be someone who works in the legal department of an organization forging relationships with a new product team,” says Wrzesniewski. “That way, they can help to anticipate challenges that team may encounter in bringing the product to market.”

It can even be as simple as offering to help a colleague get something done, or spending a few minutes at the beginning of a meeting asking about someone’s weekend plans. (Sidebar: If you’re already super tight with your co-workers, just make sure you’re not too close.)

See your work in a new light

The third way to job craft is to change how you think about your work.

For example, what impact does your job have on others?

An accountant could see themselves not simply as someone who manages financial records, but as the person who helps individuals and companies navigate stressful situations as smoothly as possible.

Or, maybe you dislike some parts of your job but enjoy others. When you have to do something frustrating or boring, take a step back and try to remember what you do find meaningful.

Tips for getting it right

Make sure to consider your team or company goals in addition to your own.

“To win support for your job crafting, focus on creating value for others, building trust, and identifying the people who will accommodate you,” advise Wrzesniewski, Berg, and Dutton.

Make your plan specific, too. For example, “This week, my goal is to read three articles about XYZ subject I’m interested in.” Or, “My goal this month is to get to know two people that I don’t normally work with.”

The bottom line

Ideally, we’d all be doing work we like. But even if you’re not, there are ways to make any job more enjoyable. You might change up your tasks, cultivate stronger relationships, or reframe your thinking.

And here’s the thing—when you do land that dream role, you’ll probably find job crafting is worthwhile there, too.

Wrzesniewski says, “Whatever sector you're talking about; whatever industry; levels of the organization from the top all the way to the bottom; in organizations where people are expected to craft their jobs, and in organizations where people are forbidden from crafting their jobs—you find that people are doing it all the time, anyway.”