office spaceThere are some days when you’re not excited to go to work because you’ve been up all night with a sick child or you’re dealing with a lot of overwhelming feelings at the job. In these cases, it’s not enough to say that you’re there for the check. Because you’re so tired or overwhelmed, money doesn’t always seem worth it. Instead, consider these five ways you can work on making sure that the work is enjoyable.

1. Create diversions.
If you’re sitting at the desk to take care of a large data-entry project, consider listening to a great podcast while you get it down. If you’re someone who needs to really focus in order to achieve accuracy, try listening to a classical musician like Bach, Vivaldi or Haydn. If the work you’re doing is work you could do with your eyes closed, use a separate computer to watch your favorite Netflix show. If your boss doesn’t allow it, don’t do it. However, as long as you get your work done, many bosses are pretty lenient.

office space2. Dress the part.
When you look good, you’ll feel even better. Find fun ways to jazz up your look. Whether it’s a brand-new shade of red lipstick or a stunning statement necklace, make sure you dress up for work. Even if you work in a warehouse, there are still ways you can look your best on the job. Instead of wearing boring trousers in the warehouse, find FR Outlet fire-retardant jeans. Pair them with a fun pair of brightly-colored boots and bedazzled gloves. You’ve got to get creative about the way you approach your look in order to see and feel a real shift.

3. Develop rituals.
If you struggle to focus on a dreaded task for five hours, consider ways you can make it more fun. After the first focused hour of work, refill your Zen Vibes coffee mug with freshly-brewed coffee. After the second focused hour of work, take a ten-minute break to relax and scroll on social media (if the company allows it). After you’ve finished focused work in the morning, go out to your favorite salad bar for lunch. Instead of grabbing lunch, you might decide to go to the nearby mall for thirty minutes. Another day, you can do your favorite gym workout to release some stress. As you create these rituals, it’ll be easier to help you find routines you can look forward to.

4. Make friends.
If you spend a ton of time in your cubicle, it might be time to branch out. Don’t be afraid of making new friends. If you don’t want friendship, that’s okay too. You can always be friendly and cordial with your employees. When you’re around positive, friendly people, this can make an impact on the way you feel. If the people around you are negative and manipulative, this is a good reason to stay away. However, there should be at least one person you can connect with. Be open to the possibilities when it pertains to developing professional relationships with your colleagues.

5. Create an exit strategy.
It’s one thing to hate certain parts of your job. It’s another experience to actually hate your job altogether. If you’re in the unfortunate predicament where you loathe going to work, it’s important to create an exit strategy. Do some soul-searching. Think about what your real dream job is. It might be a role within the company. It might be a role within a different field altogether. However, don’t be afraid to work for it. Most people spend at least 40 hours a week at work. Most people work more hours than that. Can you imagine spending that much time in a place you hate? Life is just too short for that. Knowing this, figure out whether or not you need to take courses, ask for a promotion or apply to different jobs in a different field. It might seem scary at first. However, once you make the transition, you’ll be happy that you did.