Picture the scene; You wake up in the morning and hit the snooze button on your alarm, rolling over and realising that you have work today. Again. Instantly your brain reminds you of all the duties you have to do that you could do without. All the people you’re going to see that you could definitely do without, and the long, drawn out day that you’re about to undertake. You wish it was the evening time, but you know that even once this day is out, it wont be long before the next one is upon you.

Does the above sound familiar? When life feels this difficult it can be both depressing and exhausting, trust me, I know, I’ve been there, done it, got the t shirt. It can leave us despairing for any sort of help to cope with our predicament.

The first thing to say is that you probably dont need to have a job that you hate, and it certainly isn’t worth putting up with one for no real reason. Of course, sometimes we feel stuck with bills to pay and commitments to make, but that doesn’t mean we’re trapped, and there are always things we can do to get out of our current funk.

Your first step should be to evaluate whether or not you can afford to quit. I mean really give it some thought. If your job is starting to cause you distress and even mental health issues, then it’s really worth thinking long and hard about how you can get out. Worried about paying the rent? Move in with a friend or family for a while. Claim any benefits available to you while you search for a new job, you might have more options than you think.

Lets say that you absolutely cant quit your job, and there are times where it might not be possible. You need to start planning an escape route. Save money so that you can take some time out. Train for a new position or even look into a completely new career path, or just apply for other jobs. You can work your way out of a job over a slightly longer period of time.

Another real option that you can start to look into is working for yourself. Self employment has its risks and difficulties but we’re big fans of it here at Escape Nine to Five. You can be your own boss, head in your own direction and reap the real benefits of your hard work. It’s not about finding a way to slack off and not have to work, its about finding a passion and chasing it. Almost everybody has a skill that people would pay for. Find yours and find a way you can start to do it for money. It might be a long road, but it will get you out of a hated job in the long term, and you can work on it part time while you build up to the job you really want.