11 Subtle Ways To Find Meaning In A Job You Can't Stand
You don't have to love your job to be comfortable.
Trzykropy | Shutterstock Considering most people spend the majority of their waking hours in a job — oftentimes, one they can't stand — it's important to recognize the best ways to support employees' well-being, work-life balance, and values on the clock. While a great deal of this responsibility falls on the shoulders of an employer's leadership team, you, as an individual worker, can also leverage the subtle ways to find meaning in a job you can't stand to protect yourself and advocate for your needs.
While the consequences of an unfulfilling job or a toxic team can feel inescapable, it's not impossible to stay in a job that you don't love while still living a fulfilling life outside of work, making strong connections with co-workers, and personally growing when you're in the office. It takes intentionality and sometimes self-awareness to achieve, but it's not impossible.
Here are 11 subtle ways to find meaning in a job you can't stand
1. Think about who you're helping
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One of the subtle ways to find meaning in a job you can't stand is by investing in the outcome. Who are you helping by doing the work you're doing? Is there subtle meaning in the small social interactions you have on a daily basis or even the support you're giving to colleagues in the office?
Even if you work in retail, customer service, or a corporate job, take the outcome you're at and brainstorm how it's really helping someone. Whether it's a smaller scale, like a stressed out co-worker or a customer you smiled at, or even a larger scale, like someone using the products you're marketing for, there are ways to find meaning amid the mundanity of a 9-to-5.
But in many cases, you have to search for it. Especially for younger generations like Gen Z workers, finding meaning is important — sometimes, even more than compensation — but that doesn't mean it has to be important for you. Figure out what's important to you, because in many cases it is possible to find comfort, stability, and even happiness in a job you can't stand, but it's not going to find you.
2. Pay attention to personal growth
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Even if you can't stand your job or the team you're on, there are ways to maximize the benefits of being in a workplace environment that can safeguard your emotional well-being, promote experience and learning, and set you apart in the next job you interview for.
Focus on the skills, experience, and knowledge you can personally achieve in your job, rather than the stress of all the projects, meetings, and obligations you're responsible for.
For example, brainstorm some things you're not good at — like opening a meeting with small talk, focusing on projects when you're stressed, or even presenting — and find ways to prioritize teaching moments that can help you to build those skills at work.
Even if you're not passionate about your job or the industry, you can still build tangible skills and knowledge to help you succeed when you're ready to make a change.
3. Focus on a fulfilling routine
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Even if you're stuck in a job you dislike or a toxic workplace environment, there's power in building a routine focused on your emotional and physical health, according to experts from Northwestern University.
Of course, workplace culture and employee wellness go hand-in-hand, but by focusing on the things you can control — like a de-stressing routine at home, a healthy morning routine, or mindfulness practices at work — you can find internal meaning and purpose that promotes a healthier balance.
The subtle ways to find meaning in a job you can't stand don't have to revolve around your work obligations or responsibilities, they can be personal — like setting goals, trying a new hobby, or setting better work boundaries that give you more free time in your personal life.
4. Find mentorship
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According to a study from the Journal of Vocational Behavior, having or being a mentor can make all the difference in promoting better job satisfaction, productivity, and well-being on the clock. By offering help or receiving it in a professional environment, you're connecting with peers on a deeper level than casual work conversations or conflicts.
Outside of the benefits of mentorship in a professional context, like better productivity, compensation, and organizational commitment, people focused on mentorship in their jobs also have the support to set better boundaries and deal with stress. When they're at work, they feel less isolated and stressed having another person to rely on for motivation, support, and guidance.
5. Think of the positives
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Considering the consequences that come from a toxic workplace environment are often diverse and inescapable — from poor mental health to isolation and burnout — one of the subtle ways to find meaning in a job you can't stand is to hyper-focus on the positives.
Does your job provide you with the financial means to support goals in your personal life? Are there relationships with co-workers that help to support and guide you through stress? Do you find meaning in the flexibility of your job, allowing you to leverage free time and quality time with family at home?
When you focus on the positive aspects of your job, you can find meaning in the areas it supports — like your personal life, goals, and well-being. Even if you're struggling with stress or burnout, can you rely on the areas of your life that provide relief to compensate for the negatives and build positive coping mechanisms for navigating the poor aspects of your job?
6. 'Gamify' your workload
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Even the most mundane tasks can be more fulfilling and exciting when you "gamify" them. Gamify means making everything a game to make it appear more enjoyable or interesting. And this is especially true in the workplace, where time can drag on and tasks can be unfulfilling.
Make everything a game — set a timer for getting your work done, set personal goals for the day, or even structure a game of productivity with co-workers when you're feeling less motivated. Sure, you're an adult, but why does that mean you can't make everything into a fun game?
7. Craft a future vision of yourself
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According to therapist and relationship coach Sefora Janel Ray, the art of manifestation lies in being able to envision your future self. Even if you're not into manifestation or spiritual practices like these, being able to craft an image of your future self and all of the goals you're currently working toward realized can make working in a job you can't stand much more bearable today.
When you have a real image of what you'll look like and achieve in 5 or 10 years, you're less likely to fall victim to the simple stressors or annoyances most people grow resentment of on a day-to-day basis.
8. Practice setting better boundaries
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Experts from Vanderbilt University argue that setting work boundaries — like refusing to bring work home, interact with a toxic co-worker, or add on extra projects to an already full workload — are required to maintain a healthy work-life balance in today's workplace cultures. It's one of the subtle ways to find meaning in a job you can't stand, crafting expectations and boundaries that allow you to focus on the values that are important to you.
From prioritizing your free time, to having more quality time with family, and even investing in personal growth at work, setting better boundaries with your values and priorities in mind can make dealing with the stress of a toxic job just a little bit easier.
9. Express gratitude to colleagues
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According to career and workplace journalist Rebecca Knight, it's not easy to find meaning in a job that feels meaningless, but when you stop hyper-focusing on the negatives as much as is possible, and putting that effort and energy into fulfilling connections and experiences, you're more likely to maintain an optimistic mindset that sparks better motivation, fulfillment, and balance.
For example, expressing gratitude and appreciation to colleagues is the perfect way to focus on the positives in a job that you can't stand, building relationships and connections outside the scope of stress or work responsibilities that you can rely on when things get tough.
Like UCLA Health experts suggest, expressing gratitude is incredibly profound — boosting mental health, social connection, and even physical well-being, despite being a relatively quick, easy, and noncommittal practice. Use it to your advantage as one of the subtle ways to find meaning in a job you can't stand.
10. Reflect on your personal values
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According to psychologist Jessica Koehler, our core morals and values tend to shape our behaviors, attitudes, and mentalities, making them incredibly important to hyper-focus on when you're battling stress or turmoil from a job you can't stand.
By making the intentional choice to focus on those values — or craft them, if you haven't had the chance to internally build them — you can make more intentional choices in your professional life that add value to your routine.
For example, if one of your core values is empathy or empathetic conversations, building relationships or opening up discussions at work that allow you to treat people with grace, understanding, and kindness can make grappling with a job you can't stand much more bearable.
11. Find meaning in your personal life
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Building a routine to cope with the stress of a job you can't stand is one thing, but focusing on finding meaning in your personal life can be one of the quiet, yet more profound, ways to make coping with a toxic job much more bearable.
Whether it's investing in a new hobby, focusing on a creative endeavor, or learning something new, focus on things in your personal life that help you to find personal meaning and fulfillment, rather than relying on a bad job to spark feelings of excitement and purpose within you.
Zayda Slabbekoorn is a staff writer with a bachelor's degree in social relations & policy and gender studies who focuses on psychology, relationships, self-help, and human interest stories.
