By Virginia Maurer-Negron

I have a lot of people reach out to me with what can only be described as a soul-crushing experience from their job! Yes, this is a real thing and a real concern. Primarily because so many normalize the feeling. The feeling of being overly tired, stressed, depressed, loss of energy, loss of enjoying the little things. So many have come to normalize this day in and day out. Now of course we need to work to pay bills, etc. But does it need to be done to the detriment of our health and we’ll being? Absolutely not. I am going to go over a few ways you can work on digging yourself out of your soul-crushing job and into one that sets your soul on fire! I have shared this with others and it has helped direct them and give them that extra little push. I hope it helps you as well.

1) Don’t allow yourself to normalize the behavior of constantly being over worked, over stressed, tired daily and lacking energy. Where is your passion. When you really dig deep and quiet the noise around you what ignites your fire and makes you want to jump up and run and do it NOW! I think a mistake that we sometimes make is not teaching our kids at a young age about passion. What excites them and really allow them to dig into it and help them build upon that. We need to do that as adults as well. Don’t ignore the symptoms of a soul-crushing job. For many we have been told you don’t have to like your job as long as you are paying your bills. Wrong. Both come hand in hand. I know this may be hard to see right now. But find some time or make some time to sit down in a quiet place and think about what you are passionate about.

2) Now I’m not saying once you figure out what you are passionate about immediately go quit your job and jump right in. Ease into it. These things take time. So set time aside for your passion. Make it happen. You need to start small and take steps. Set yourself up a good plan of action. For example if you want to become a personal trainer and that is what you are passionate about there are courses you can take outside of your regular working hours to work towards that goal. There is always a way to bring your passion to reality. And if you fail keep trying. Because no matter what if it is your true passion it will ALWAYS find a way to come back to you. Once you have taken time to work towards your goal/passion in time when you are ready then you can leave the soul-crushing job behind. You can also keep your job and keep this as a side job. Whatever works for you as long as you are being fulfilled.

3) Now when people have brought this issue to me the biggest concern they had was they just didn’t feel motivated to do anything. The strain of a soul-crushing job is real my friends. It weighs you down both physically and mentally. So it is understandable when Friday hits you just want to real for the weekend. But don’t stay there. Don’t get stuck in a routine. You need to work on self care and refueling your body. Make time to exercise. Even if it is getting outside for 30 mins a day. Eating a well balance meal. Getting more water. Meditate. You have to work on changing your mindset and habits that you have built around your soul-crushing job. Because when you do believe me when I tell you it will change your life. Say that again. It will change your life!!

4) Believe in yourself. You are capable of doing so many amazing things. Things you don’t give yourself credit for. Change your thought process feom I can’t to I can. Start talking to yourself like you would a friend in need. Self talk in a positive manner is so important to your development. When you feel a negative thoughts coming on about yourself immediately squash it. Start a task like cleaning, or listening to music, anything to change that thought. You are capable of anything you put your mind to. Believe in yourself.

So remember start small. Take your time. Breathe. Make time. Build your confidence. Don’t quit for soul-crushing job right away. Explore. Educate. Feel. Self-care. Believe in yourself. And you will be well on your way to discovering your passion. One that sets your soul on fire not crush it. Good luck friends. I truly hope this helps those that need it.