How to Find Fulfillment in Your Job

Cubicle life can be draining. Working an 8-5 in a corporate environment definitely has its benefits- regular hours, steady income, and often paid time off and health insurance. But when you’re not working your DREAM job, sitting at a desk for eight hours a day can feel very taxing. After all, it’s a third of your life that you’re spending reaching someone else’s goals instead of your own. But your survival job doesn’t have to be a bleak energy-sink. With a few little changes to your day-to-day routine, it’s easy to feel like you’re making progress towards the life you want to live! I hope my guide on how to find fulfillment in your 9-5 job helps you get there.

How to Make the Most of Your 8-5:

TAKE YOUR BREAKS- and find a way to work on your passion during them. I edit videos for my Youtube channel while I’m at lunch and I find it really recharges me and fires me up to continue pursuing my passion when I get home.

Get up and take a walk around the building one or two times a day if that’s an option. Getting outside and getting some vitamin D and fresh air have lots and LOTS of health benefits- they say you should step away from the computer for about ten minutes every hour. Although that’s not often feasible, taking a five-minute walk once or twice a day can help you feel less “stuck” at your cubicle and improve your mental health.

Listen to podcasts that help you learn something. There is a podcast for EVERYTHING nowadays. Regardless of what you’re passionate about, chances are that there is someone that is producing a show to help you learn about it. There are auditioning podcasts for actors, podcasts like Beauty and the Vlog for us online creatives, and general self help podcasts! Headphones are your best friend.

Seek out what new skills you can learn in your job that will help you in your side-hustle or hobby. Whether it’s organizational methods, networking, or going to a marketing seminar, there is probably some overlap in what you could be learning on company time for your job duties and what can help you in your side gig. Your supervisors will appreciate you taking the opportunity to learn something new, and your new skills come home with you!

Find ways to reward yourself. Whether that’s a plan to have brunch on Saturday after a long week, scheduling a manicure after a day full of meetings, or planning your next big vacation, reward yourself for the work you’re doing and appreciate your determination and resilience.

Journal when you feel stuck. Instead of letting the boredom fester into anger and resentment, pull out a notebook and write about it for five minutes. Try to focus your thought process on how you can get from point A to point B, and what you might be doing or learning that day that will help you get there.

Don’t get me wrong, there will probably still be days where you watch the clock tick ever so slowly towards five o’clock. In any job, there are pros and cons. But taking the extra few minutes a day to slow down and use your down time to make progress towards your goals can really help you feel more fulfilled in your job! Just remember: hustle and heart will set you apart.