I know a person (or a few of them) who has stayed or currently stays at a job that makes them crazy. I have also been there before; stayed in a place like that for a while before I realized I must leave before my head explodes. To be honest, another reason for leaving was the fact that I moved to a different city so it would have been impossible to continue working there. I'm not even sure if I would have had the balls to just quit, if I wouldn't have moved away. And this is what disturbs me: so many of us (including me) are too resilient and strong and just keep on going in bad circumstances, even if it makes them unhappy and stressed every day. Sadly many of them crack up just before they realize they MUST do something to be happier. Usually these kinds of jobs drain you both mentally and physically so slowly and sneakily, that it's not easy to notice how exhausted you are before it's too late and you're already breaking down.
What's the point of staying in a workplace that drains you completely? A job that takes all your time and energy and doesn't give you anything back. It's not satisfying in any level, it's just basic shitty labour. Even the salary is pitiful. A job that makes you miserable in so many ways, of which one is that you can't have an influence on anything. If you open your mouth and suggest some changes there could be done to make things work better, somebody always gets offended and nothing ever changes. Sounds horrible, doesn't it?
After one has suffered there for a while, all the joy disappears and working becomes forced. In the end one might end up purely hating it. When they open their eyes in the morning, the first thing on their mind is that all they want to do is to burst into tears, continue sleeping and wouldn't even mind getting fired. They don't care the tiniest bit about what people think and what would happen after that. Everything's hazy.
The photo is taken with my iPhone SE in one morning run last fall.
It's not easy to watch someone dear to you to go trough this either. The frustration is maximal when you see they are so fed up with all that, but there's nothing you can do to help them except listen and support in whatever it is they want to do to solve things. I'm always generating ideas and trying to help them find better options, but I've noticed it doesn't help much. I guess it's not about the lack of better options, but more like figuring how to deal with the problem at hand and how to quit the job without burning bridges and causing more trouble. After all no one wants to leave their mates in the lurch. It's like they see the light but can't go after it and it can't reach them either.
I've often heard that people like us (employed) shouldn't be complaining, since we are so blessed to even have jobs in an economical situation like this, where there are so many unemployed and no jobs left. I think that's bullshit. Of course we have the right to open our mouths. We have earned the our statuses (which by the way isn't that good ATM) and jobs, and we have every right to point the grievances in order to improve the conditions. It shouldn't be so that you must act happy and stay quiet if you are lucky enough to have a job. Nothing ever improves and develops if people act they're satisfied especially if it's actually the opposite.
Although the grass might not be greener on the other side, you will never figure that out if you aren't willing to take the risk. In the worst case scenario you will end up in equally bad situation as previously, but there's also the possibility that you'll find the joy and excitement of working again. At least you will get to meet new people, network and learn something new work wise, and probably from yourself as well. You'll be one experience richer. After taking some actions towards the better, you will also get to be proud of yourself for taking the leap. Why don't you try it? After all, it's just a job.
