Can you be happy if you don't love your job?

[mskateb]

There's a random question for 'ya. But let's say, hypothetically of course, that you are pretty darn happy in all other aspects of your life except work. Do you think that's enough?

[sara76]

I had a job that I hated once and it translated to me spending a lot of time dreading work. And having crampy stomach aches because of it. If you only don't love your job instead of truely hating it than I think you can still be happy. I like my job enough now though so easy for me to say.

[lauren9317]

I think it depends on the degree of unhappiness that your job brings. If you hate it so much that you cry when you wake up on workdays and you're completely miserable each and every second that you're there, then obviously that would affect your overall happiness in life, since a full time job is such a huge part of life. So in that case, you can't feel happy in life when you're so miserable for a huge part of your day.

But if every other part of your life is good, and your job has the typical to slightly above average degree of suckiness, I think that's normal. I don't know anyone who really loves their job!

[tashaandsage]

Are we saying don't love or actually hate? I think you can not be totally in love with your job and still be happy enough if the rest of your life is going great. But truly hating your job is different I think. I had a job when I was younger where my boss was unextremely unhappy, miserable person and she wanted everyone else to be too. It was a very horrible working environment and it was hard to be happy when you spent 40 hours a week being treated terribly. So in that kind of situation, no. But really I think life is too short not to love or at least, usually like, what you do.

[moonstone523]

Not for me. If I don't like my job, that unhappiness carries over to my personal life. Same goes for many other aspects of my life.

I'm a pretty positive person, but I'm a firm believer in creating my own happiness. To do that I must surround myself in a positive environment - from work, community, and among friends. It's up to me too make the necessary changes to get to that point of happiness.

I sometimes get down and H reminds me that happiness comes from within, yadee, yadee, yadee. Yeah, I'm happy, but I need to foster that happiness with like minded people.

I'm rambling, but I'll let a job be on my dislike category for a few months before I have to start looking for another one. Even the act of looking makes me feel better. And interviewing for another sometimes makes me realize I have it pretty good.

[alzi]

It's rough. I'm freakin miserable at work. I live for NOT being here.

I want to scream.

Sorry you caught me on a bad day..

[mskateb]

I can't say that I hate it, though there are days and moments when I do. But I have to think that much is true about anything in life.

There are a lot of great things about my job, my schedule being at the top of that list. I'm really lucky to get the benefits of nearly full-time work and also have two days a week off from work. And there's a lot of other things I love about working here...but never would I put what I ACTUALLY do all day on that list. Great company, good people, awesome supervisor and boss, nice atmosphere, lots of flexibility, et cetera. But the work, not so much. When I sit down to think about what my goals might be, they're never work-related. It just made me wonder if that's enough, y'know, for the long-term.

[mrsjenrn]

Jun 12, 2012 13:27:13 GMT -5 lauren9317 said:

I think it depends on the degree of unhappiness that your job brings. If you hate it so much that you cry when you wake up on workdays and you're completely miserable each and every second that you're there, then obviously that would affect your overall happiness in life, since a full time job is such a huge part of life. So in that case, you can't feel happy in life when you're so miserable for a huge part of your day.

But if every other part of your life is good, and your job has the typical to slightly above average degree of suckiness, I think that's normal. I don't know anyone who really loves their job!

This exactly! I feel like my job is consuming me now and it's affecting my outside work life. I am trying to be patient....

[lauren9317]

Jun 12, 2012 13:47:15 GMT -5 alzi said:

It's rough. I'm freakin miserable at work. I live for NOT being here.

I want to scream.

Sorry you caught me on a bad day..

That sucks, I was hoping your job would get better since I know you had high hopes when you started

[alzi]

Me too Lauren, me too.

[sara76]

Alzi whaaat? I didn't know you don't like being at your new job! Nooooo!

[kimandross]

I'm in agreement with Lauren. I'm in a place now where I don't LOVE my jobs, but I'm not miserable and have some great flexibility. So while I'd much rather be back in the non-profit world, I'm good for now.

[sara76]

I should mention that for the right salary I could feel much better about most any job.

[aidensmom]

I think it might be different for everyone, but I was miserable when I hated my job. I coukdn't even enjoy the weekends bc I was dreading going back to work on Minday. It was aweful