Boost Your Job Satisfaction and Boost Your Morale: Tips for Disgruntled Employees

So you dread going to work when you’re scheduled to be there because you don’t like your job nor do you like the current circumstances surrounding your job. But do you realize that your adamant dislike for your job can have a negative impact on your performance?  Job dissatisfaction can also affect the way you interact with your co-workers as well as the customers. So what are you unhappy about in the first place?  Is it your boss? Is it your co-workers? Is it your salary? Or is it the job itself? You should keep in mind that you have the power to change the way you feel about your job thus improve your spirit overall.  What changes would you like to see in your current job?  You should also take time to examine yourself.  Don’t wait for everyone else and everything around you to change, but instead you should proactively look for ways to boost your job satisfaction. Because you spend a great deal of time at your job…review these tips to find out how you can boost your job satisfaction starting today.
1. Acquire new job skills- if you are dissatisfied with your current career path you should improve your job skills by making a career transition, or take advantage of your company’s training programs, or sharpen your current skill set by taking pertinent classes on-line or on school site.  When you acquire new skills you will increase your marketability and obtain more opportunities to advance in the workplace.
2. Ask for more challenging work- once you make the move to improve your skills you should inform your manager. Let your manager know of your interest to take on more challenging work assignments. View this as an opportunity to grow.
3. Set Goals for yourself -now it’s time to set goals for yourself.  What would you like to accomplish within the next year or two? How do you plan to accomplish those goals?  Bear in mind that you must proactively pursue desired goals.
4. Focus on your strengths- surely you must have some valuable skills that are needed to help achieve goals and objectives in your company or you would not be there. Even though you have not yet acquired desired new skills, you are still an asset for your company in other ways. Focus on your current skills and utilize them to the fullest extent. When you focus on your strengths and you will boost your esteem.
5. Keep a positive attitude -think about the positive aspects of your job, even if this means, just being grateful that you have a job.  With so many qualified individuals out of work, you should be thankful that you have a job. Do you realize how many unemployed job seekers would love to have your job? Also, what things do you like most about your job?  Try to focus on the things that you like most about your job rather than focusing on the things you dislike about it.
6. Avoid office gossip - you should avoid hanging out with co-workers who love to spread gossip and rumors about other workers and the company overall.  These individuals will only cause you to feel more dissatisfied about the company than you already are.  Don’t allow these pessimistic individuals to influence your feelings about your company, your boss, or your co-workers. Understandably, you will have to interact with these individuals at some point while at work, just make sure that you keep it professional and work-related.
7. De-clutter your work area - remove all unnecessary items from your desk as well as your immediate work area.  Arrange your work in a neat and orderly fashion. Clutter will only cause you to become overwhelmed and more frustrated about your job.  
 8. Keep outside issues outside of the office - sometimes it’s not the job that a person is dissatisfied with but it’s the outside issues that they bring to work.  When you bring negative issues from home or other places to the job- it decreases your morale and you’re not as productive as you could be. Do yourself and others a favor, leave outside issues outside! 
9. Take time away from the job - take your vacation time, PTO time, and floating holiday time when you feel the need to do so.  Make plans to get away, relax, and enjoy your time away from the job.  And don’t bring the pressures and burdens from your job with you while you are away. You should also take your breaks and lunches while at work as much as possible.  Getting away from the job for just a short period of time will rejuvenate your mental and physical state.
Wrapping up, once you improve yourself, your attitude will change for the betterment of your job, the company, and your team members. A happy employee is a productive employee!