The trick is to take advantage of the benefits they offer you.

so, if they pay x amount of tuition every year, then you should earn another degree - part time or online.

Then imagine the new job opportunities you can avail of after the degree comes through!

one of the pp's here. i stopped at walmart this weekend and checked out behind a woman with a young kid whose food stamps didn't cover some item that they typically cover (i overheard the general gist of the conversation, but not all the details.) meanwhile my annoying job allowed for me to pick up the dvd of frozen and video games for my kids just because i felt like it.

so there's a tip: shop at walmart. gain perspective!

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I try not to care so much about the annoying stuff, it doesn't deserve so much of my emotion. I schedule time for two mini breaks, one before & after lunch, when I can do something enjoyable...make a cup of tea, go outside etc. I have a bowl of several types of scented hand lotion on my desk, I use the lotion & enjoy the smell every few hours. I look at the pictures of my family around my desk. I think about fun stuff I can do this weekend with the $ I am making. This has gotten me through many days!

Good tips!

Another person here with a soul-sucking job. I keep mine because the commute is very short and I can get home quickly in case of emergencies, sick child, etc.

Those tips above are all great!

To get through the days, I also imagine to myself how it would be to have this job plus a 45 minute commute each way which many of my co-workers do.

I also try not to talk negatively to others about the job. That just makes things worse!

We are micromanaged to an unbelievable extent and I have learned to let alot of the feedback just roll off my back. I think it has helped because I have co-workers who still get really upset about their sessions with the leadership team. I've learned to just take it in, and then move on.

How the F do you hate a job that is 100% telecommute? You are doing something wrong.

Anonymous wrote:I try not to care so much about the annoying stuff, it doesn't deserve so much of my emotion. I schedule time for two mini breaks, one before & after lunch, when I can do something enjoyable...make a cup of tea, go outside etc. I have a bowl of several types of scented hand lotion on my desk, I use the lotion & enjoy the smell every few hours. I look at the pictures of my family around my desk. I think about fun stuff I can do this weekend with the $ I am making. This has gotten me through many days!

Good tips!

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:i also have a soul sucking job that is perfect on paper! misery loves company!

Make that three. And yes, I too am considering quitting.

I think you were 4 and I'm 5. For the past 8 months, I have had such a job. Worst job of my life. Thankfully, I have given my notice and the misery will only be for another week. Yippee!!!

I try not to care so much about the annoying stuff, it doesn't deserve so much of my emotion. I schedule time for two mini breaks, one before & after lunch, when I can do something enjoyable...make a cup of tea, go outside etc. I have a bowl of several types of scented hand lotion on my desk, I use the lotion & enjoy the smell every few hours. I look at the pictures of my family around my desk. I think about fun stuff I can do this weekend with the $ I am making. This has gotten me through many days!

Anonymous wrote:i also have a soul sucking job that is perfect on paper! misery loves company!

Make that three. And yes, I too am considering quitting.

I really agree about burnout and that you might do well to give yourself a staycation or something that "recharges" you and gives you a new perspective. It's OK to find work political, challenging, annoying, frustrating and probably everyone does at times. But the way you talk about your job makes me feel you've come to a very negative place about the job.

BTW: when you quit and have to find a new job, that might help you get a new perspective too!

Anonymous wrote:i also have a soul sucking job that is perfect on paper! misery loves company!

Me three! Am strongly considering turning down a permanent position with current job (i.e., meaning I'd have to look for another) because it would mean directly reporting to someone grossly incompetent, hostile, unstable, and not qualified to supervise me. I'd have time to find a new job, but it's scary to think about turning down something--even though I'd be miserable as heck.

Anonymous wrote:Wow, i would love to be able to telecommute. However the grass is always greener. Is there a way that you could switch to a more interesting position within your company? I did that and even though the pay was the same I am much happier. it's not perfect but I don't dread Mondays anymore.

+1. I switched jobs within my company. Same low pay and low status, but different boss and different coworkers, and it has made ALL the difference. I, too, tried to focus on the positive in my last job, but finally realized that its soul sucking nature was something I couldn't handle. I focused on switching to a different department, and as soon as the opportunity arose, I took it. Now it's much easier to focus on the positive, because there is already so much positive there!

Hey, OP, it sounds like you're working on your attitude. I don't blame you for being frustrated with your job but you also know how lucky you are to be working in this economy. I'm depressed about my job, too, but have some very good benefits and reasons to be grateful. It helps me that some of my neighbors work in low-paid, low-autonomy jobs like cashier, sales clerk, security guard. I keep reminding myself that they would *love* to have my problems!

Hang in there, OP!

i also have a soul sucking job that is perfect on paper! misery loves company!

You sound burned out. Take a vacation if you can. Start putting out feelers for other jobs, too. That management system sounds awful.

It sucks having a job that you dread and that drains you, even one that looks great on paper.

Wow, i would love to be able to telecommute. However the grass is always greener. Is there a way that you could switch to a more interesting position within your company? I did that and even though the pay was the same I am much happier. it's not perfect but I don't dread Mondays anymore.