Read This, BEFORE You Snap At Work!

Your boss is being a giant d@#k, Judy from H.R. is asking everyone to Sharpie their f@#king names on all of the food in the fridge, there are deadlines coming up real fast and the pressure hasn’t been this heavy in a very long time! Your job sucks … badly (and you know it). So what are you going to do about it?

My advice: don’t go postal (those guys are the pros at it … not you)! Just know that you’re not alone … there are a bunch of other shitty careers out there (and some even pay extremely well)! Everyone from overworked doctors to underappreciated cashiers are at risk of feeling burnt out, and with the way this sh@#ty economy is right now many of us are adding to those sad statistics. Truth: pissed off people not only makes our work lives almost unbearable, but it also seeps into our personal lives, and even affects our health physically. So how do we fix ourselves when we get to this point (besides punching Judy in the face, I mean)?

By following the advice below, of course! This witty stuff is guaranteed to both get your mental health back on track and rekindle your enthusiasm for the place you used to love to wake up early for (ok … which was once tolerable at least, I mean. Is that better?):

Set standards. Take a good hard look at your schedule, and then figure out which tasks are the most important. The reprioritize your activities and adopt some sort of system to make sure you’re focusing your time on the important activities first. Also, be extra brutal about cutting any activities that take up too much time, with not enough value.

Get some fresh air. We spend way too much time sitting on our a@#es and not enough time getting the old blood pumping. I’m not saying you need to run a marathon, but you should find a comfortable way to work regular exercise into your busy day. It could be a quick walk over to your lunch spot, taking the stairs instead of the elevator, biking to work instead of driving, or something more realistic (I know … I get crazy sometimes).

Say “no” more. Most burnouts never learn how to say this simple word enough at work! “Yes” men help out everyone, while at the same time end up being extremely stressed out and anxious. My advice: learn to commit yourself to what you can handle, at work and at life. If the boss and loved ones demand more, sit down and talk with them about how it’s f@#king up you life (or your productivity … whatev)!

Set realistic goals. There’s only so much time in the workday, in which to get your s@#t done! Piling too many goals onto your plate is a surefire way to feel way too bogged down and defeated, sometimes even before you get a chance to pursue them. Sure, make some goals, but also make sure they’re actually possible, as well.

Eat and sleep better. Sluggishness at work is only made worse by an unhealthy lifestyle outside of the office. Make sure you are getting a sufficient amount of sleep each night, and fill your diet with healthy, hearty foods (ex. no TV dinners! Ever!). Another thing: snacks might seem comforting during a horrible day, but the crash after the sugar rush will put you in an even worse mood, which will help you hate your job more than you do now.

Most of us were taught to keep our personal and work life totally separate. However, when your life is totally falling apart around you, trying to act like everything is honky-dory just causes the situation to get much, much worse (bad news: I don’t think there are any easy answers). Life really sucks when you’re going through the rough patches (I certainly know what this feels like … believe you me) but these situations always get better eventually (the sooner the better, right?) so get ready for them. You know that already though, right (I sure as hell hope so)? Good!

Luckily, there ARE things we can do to ease this burnout feeling (as discussed above) and they don’t necessarily involve packing up your s@#t and finding a new career path (however, if the situation is bad enough, this may actually be the best way out … I’ll leave that up to you to decide though). Good luck … I hope you get through this trying times! If it helps, I did (note: I quit that old hell hole … and I’m much happier at my new spot)!