I don’t hate my job. But c’mon, it is a job, and I don’t know anyone who doesn’t find something annoying or frustrating or tiring or boring or really depressing about their work. There are definitely days when I bitch endlessly or complain or envision myself in another work environment, minus anything that is annoying me at my job at the moment. We all do this.

Except lately I’ve been feeling really guilty and naive any time I think negatively about my job. With 10% unemployment, millions of people are out of work who would probably be very happy with my job or any job, for that matter. It feels petty to complain about a gossipy colleague when a friend has just been laid off or to wish I had a more creative work environment when another friend has been looking for work for a year.

But the reality is that those of us who are working often do dislike — or, in the most extreme cases, hate — our jobs. I’ve written here before about reasons why you might not want to quite a job you hate. And if you choose to stick it out, you have to find a way to survive without becoming completely miserable. Because spending a huge chunk of your day miserable is 1. horrible, 2. not productive, and 3. just not fun. Here’s an article I read recently with some helpful (although a bit simplistic, if you ask me) tips about how to survive a job you hate.

Some highlights:

Figure out why you hate your job and if there is anything you can do about it. Maybe the answer is yes, maybe no. But it’s worth thinking about specific reasons and seeing if any of them are modifiable.

Many people hate their jobs because they hate their boss. Obviously you can’t always control who your boss is but if you form strong relationships with your colleagues, it might be a positive counter to the negative relationship with your superior.

Feeling anonymous, unrecognized, and unappreciated at work is a common reason for job misery.What if you helped your colleagues feel less so and they, in return, did the same for you? (This point strikes a chord with me. It seems a bit naive at first, but a few jobs ago I think this is exactly what our office did, without being explicit about it. Management seemed entirely oblivious to the hard work we were doing, so we developed a culture of being outwardly nice to each other, openly discussing and noting achievements, challenges overcome. It’s worth a try.)

Find something to appreciate about your job (like um… having it at all). No, this will not make your job hate go away, but it should temper it.

Do you have any suggestions or things you’ve done in the past (or are doing now) to deal with a job you hate?  Share in the comments!