Getting up and going to work every day is easy for some people, but others struggle to get out the door.
There are various reasons that you may not want to work, and some of them are very serious and difficult to overcome.
Other times, there are issues in the workplace or deadlines that may keep you from being interested in heading to work.
The good news is that there are things that you can do to help make going to work quite a bit easier.
Finding the reasoning behind your desire not to work and then spending the time to correct the issues and improve your mindset is only going to make work more fun and enjoyable.
Here are ten things you can do if you don’t want to go to work anymore.
I Don’t Want To Go To Work (10 Things You Can Do)
1. Take Time To Find The Cause
It can be hard to fix a problem if there is no root cause for the problem.
Do you know what is making you not want to go to work?
Is it something stressful?
Do you not enjoy the workplace or the coworkers?
One of the best ways to come up with solutions for days when you don’t want to go to work is to start to find the issues at hand.
Sometimes these issues have nothing to do with the workplace, and they are simply more personal issues than work issues.
When you have some time off from work, try to find a quiet place to think about the root cause of your dislike for work.
If you can narrow this down, finding the solution will be quite a bit easier.
Try to break it down a bit further than having to get out of bed or the alarm being noisy.
Those who love going to work still find this part of the day slightly annoying, but they can overcome it by their love of what they do for a living.
Be honest with yourself and break this down to the root cause of the issue.
2. Mental Health Checkup
Sometimes the reason you don’t want to go to work is related to mental health.
Mental health issues can be brought on by things that are out of our control.
If you feel like you don’t want to go to work, and this feeling just keeps getting stronger, it may be time for a mental health checkup.
A mental health checkup is going to give you some professional advice as to why your mind may be feeling the way that it does.
Going to see your therapist and explaining what your mindset is may help you figure out a solution at a much faster pace.
Chances are the therapist that you see will have seen other people just like you who are struggling with similar issues.
Letting them ask you questions and investigate the root causes can help you develop a plan for overcoming your negative feelings toward work.
Many times, your workplace insurance will even cover the therapy, so you won’t have to pay much in out-of-pocket expenses.
It is very important to stay in tune with your mental health and make the necessary adjustments in your life.
3. Set Goals
Your feeling of not wanting to go to work could be related to the fact that you don’t have a goal set.
All workers need goals.
The interesting thing about setting goals is that they don’t need to be related to work.
If you want to set a goal to help make going to work easier, you may have to think about things you want to accomplish in life outside of work.
Have you wanted to remodel your kitchen?
Are you looking to get a new dog?
These things are going to require money, and to make the money, you will have to work.
Sometimes putting these goals in place and working towards them is going to help you go to work with a new mindset and feeling of strength and determination.
Goals in the workplace are also good to have.
Whether you are looking for a promotion or to try and beat last year’s sales records, having something to work towards will certainly increase the motivation to head to work in the morning.
4. Take A Vacation
The reason you don’t want to work could simply be that you are burned out.
If you work a lot of hours or just finished a large project that took a great deal of your time, you may just be needing a break from the workplace.
It is important to take vacations and to give yourself time away from work.
If you do not do this, you will reach a level of burnout, and then you don’t want to work anymore.
The great news is that this can be avoided simply by taking a vacation when you need it.
Vacations do not need to be long or expensive.
Sometimes taking a Friday or a Monday off and simply doing things around your local area can feel like a vacation.
Vacations don’t have to be trips away from your home, but instead, they can simply be a break from the office and all that goes on there.
After your vacation, you may still find it is hard to go to work for a few days, but you should feel refreshed and ready to set your eyes on the next vacation that you could potentially take.
Keeping vacations consistent and planning them for times when you know you may experience burnout is a great way to push through when you don’t want to go to work.
5. Change Your Routine
It is amazing how much a routine can impact your day.
Many people get up to go to work, grab a quick bite to eat, and rush out the door.
There is really no time for yourself in the morning, and it can create a negative feeling surrounding leaving for work.
Sometimes one of the best ways to fix this is to change your routine.
It may sound crazy to wake up earlier before work, but it can completely change your day.
A morning where you get up, work out, go for a walk, read a book, or watch a favorite TV show will feel much more in your control.
You will get to the office knowing that part of your day was already spent the way you wanted to spend it.
If you are simply feeling like not enough of your time each day is dedicated to your personal needs, this can be a great way to help.
Although this may cut into the amount of time you get to sleep, you will notice the benefits are well worth the sacrifices you make.
6. Examine Qualifications And Skills
When work gets really bad, and you don’t feel like going, it may be time to start examining your skills and qualifications.
Put some time into your resume and start to look around for jobs that fit your skills and qualifications.
When you start doing this, you may realize that it is time to make a career change, but you could also find that you don’t need to make a move that drastic.
Maybe when examining your skills, you find that there is a position within your current company that feels like a better fit for your needs.
This is a time to start doing some searching and some investigating.
You don’t need to quit your job and start looking.
You can simply start to plan what makes the most sense for you from a career standpoint.
Do you think it’s time to make a change?
Maybe your current job can be modified to become more appealing to you.
There are so many ways that you can go about your career moves and changes, as long as you are able to sort them out and properly examine what you are good at.
The more time you spend analyzing and putting your skills together, the better the chance you have of finding your dream job.
For some people, finding the perfect career can take many years.
Don’t start this process drastically, but simply start to gather information and research what it is that you would really like to be doing with your time.
You will come up with a solution as long as you can stay focused.
7. Put A Reward System In Place
As humans, we like to be rewarded.
The rewards are typically things that we expect to get from the workplace.
If you had a great year and met all your goals, you will expect to be rewarded with a large bonus.
However, not all rewards need to be brought to you by the people you are working for.
The rewards can be put together on your own, completely outside of the workplace.
Most people will work and work without giving themselves any kind of reward or break.
However, you can put a reward system in place that allows you to earn rewards for a specific amount of time worked.
For instance, if you put in two weeks of work, take $100 to spend however you want.
If you put in 30 days of work, take one day of vacation time to enjoy a day at home.
Whatever the rewards have to be to keep you motivated to go to work, it will be well worth the time you spend putting this reward system in place.
Reward systems are a smart option to help with motivation.
For those who find that the reason they don’t want to work is simply that the motivation is not there, then the reward system could easily fix it.
When setting up a reward system, always make sure that you are being financially responsible and staying within your budget.
You will need to ensure that you earn enough money to give yourself the rewards that you are looking for, but there is always something that you can add to reward yourself.
Even something as simple as going out to breakfast on a Friday if you have made it to work every day can be enough of a reward to make it through week after week of work.
8. Start A Side Gig
A side gig is something that is done in addition to your full-time job.
For some people, these are part-time jobs taking more than 20 hours each week.
For others, the side gig is simply learning to monetize a hobby.
If you like to create and draw, maybe you put together some products to sell at a local craft fair.
If you find music interesting, maybe you play at a local restaurant on Saturday nights.
Monetizing a hobby and turning it into a side gig can leave you with a new source of income and revenue.
This new source may open your eyes and your mind to the other things that are out there for you to do.
If your career is not the dream of your future, these side gigs could help you to see that you may be able to leave your career sooner rather than later.
Being unhappy at work and not wanting to go to work can be very motivational in allowing you to create solutions that you may never have thought of in the past.
The more time you spend doing something you love, the easier it will be to get up and go to work.
This may seem like an ideal situation, but it is entirely possible to create a career that matters to you and inspires you.
Millions of people have done it, and you can, too.
9. Involve Friends And Family
One of the best ways to get through the issue of not wanting to work is to talk to your friends and family about it.
Life can be complicated, and trying to go at it alone is not a very good idea.
Instead, talk to your support system and see what suggestions they have.
They may simply offer to meet you after work for dinner or a workout to help make the workday seem less boring and difficult.
Family and friends also have good advice when it comes to finding a new career.
You may find that someone you know has been through the exact situation that you have, and they will be able to provide tips and tricks that they used to help get through the situation.
Involving family and friends allows you to get your feelings out there and talk them through.
If you do not do this, things can get more stressful because you are holding this information in.
Allowing yourself to talk and process things is a major step in the right direction.
Some people are surprised to find friends and family may also have connections to help you find a new job.
These are all positives that can help your issues of not wanting to go to work disappear entirely.
If you have been managing this problem on yourself for quite some time, try finding a trusted person to open up to about it.
10. Plan Strategically For Time Off
Those who have had issues with not wanting to go to work know exactly how important it is to plan their vacations strategically.
When you can use your days off, weekends, or holidays and perfectly combine them to maximize your time off, you will find it much easier to go to work.
Sometimes taking a day or two a month can be a much better plan than taking a week or two just once a year.
If you can spread out the time off, you will feel as though you are getting breaks often and giving yourself the mindset that you need to get through each month of work.
For those who take one break at the end of the year, it is a long wait to get to this point.
Planning strategically for time off can take a bit of work.
You should lay out your schedule at the beginning of the year and take some time to set this up.
Chances are having a schedule like this in place will help motivate you to go to work, complete your tasks, and then spend your time enjoying yourself.
This is that work hard/play hard mentality, and it works for millions of people.
Conclusion
Hopefully, you now feel as though you can be more motivated to head to work.
There are many solutions for increasing your motivation to work.
You don’t have to simply choose one way, but it is very important to find out what the root cause of your issue is.
The quicker you can find out what is causing these issues for you, the better chance you have of fixing things.
Spending time on yourself, your mental health, and your goals and aspirations will only help you work out this issue.
Not wanting to go to work is a common problem, but there are ways to move through it.
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Doug McColl says
I have a recurring anual contract job and it suffers from systemic stupidity. There is no growth. My skills have eroded over time. My resources have been taken away and or changed around each time I come back from my “Hiatus”. For the past few years I have been detatching from my job. Trying to make plans and get out but it is hard; few opportunities and if I leave I want to go somewhere better, where my skills and passion are recognized as a strength that needs support and a chance to grow. I have died. I go to work now, but I do not really work. My contract is coming to an end and I am coasting out. Part of me can hardly wait to see my bosses face and part of me feels sorry for him. He’s part of the problem but he thinks he has all the answers because he’s a real “doer”. Truth is he “does” without strategically thinking about what he’s doing. So my reason is that I’m tired of working for idiots. At first I didn’t realize they were idiots but it didn’t take that long but I thought I could still managed. Listening to my gut was not an option because I had a family to feed and still do but going to work is just a place now, not somewhere I go to work. I quit working.
Anonymous says
Thank you for the rawness in your response. I needed to hear someone else’s crude perspective. I am trying hard to be positive but it is so hard. I keep myself from thinking aloud how I feel.
LoriB says
I go to work because I have too. I hate my job and will be leaving as soon as I can. Working for the government is a dead end, unless you have connections. I am leaving for a job that I love. Where working will not seem like work. If you love what you do, you will not work a day in your life.