What to Do When You Feel Fake at Work - The Muse

What to Do When You Feel Fake at Work - The MuseWhat to Do When You Feel Fake at Work Have you ever felt like youre being fake at work? Keeping your head low, hiding out in the bathroom, wearing a fake smile?Its exhausting But mora importantly, its a sign that you need a change.However, before we get to that, lets take a closer look at what being fake at work really meansYour boss calls and asks you to tackle an interesting new project and your first response is to wonder how you can get out of it.Youre sitting in a meeting with your head down, pretending to take notes, but really just playing games on your computer.Your face hurts from pretending to smile and care about other peoples personal stories. Youre offered a big promotion, and instead of cheering, a voice inside your head starts shouting Nooooo. You spend time wondering how much severance youd get if you were fired or laid off.You excuse yourself from office happy hours to get back to work, but the truth is that youre going home to watch TV.I dont have to tell you about the toll this behavior can take on you mentally, emotionally, and even physically.Trying to be something youre not- in this case, happy at work- can cause all sorts of issues. You get tired. You get unmotivated. You get stressed. You get anxious. You get that awful feeling in the pit of your stomach. And eventually, your manager and co-workers will catch on.The bottom line Soldiering on with a pretend smile and the lie that PowerPoint is my life (when its the number one thing you hate in the world) isnt helping you, and it definitely isnt helping your career.So lets talk optionsOption 1Stay at Your JobIf you stay at your job, youve got to resolve that fake feeling. And that entails making changes.To get started, spend a week keeping a daily journal. At the end of each work day, record what you liked doing, what you didnt like doing, and anything that really stressed you out. At the end of the week take a look and bucket everything into one of unterstellung three categories1. Things You HateIf theres anything you can stop doing, pass off to another colleague, or just talk to your boss about shifting around, make a note of it and work to get it off your plate.For the things that you must do (but you dont like), is there any way to make them easier? Can you do them first thing before the day starts so theyre off your desk? Can you set a timer and have a race with yourself? Can you just plan on taking a few more breaks?Get creative and brainstorm ideas- sometimes the tiniest change can make a huge difference.2. Things You EnjoyNow, look at this list. Can you take on any more work here, or offer to do more tasks similar to these? For example If you like helping people learn the ropes, can you offer to do more company training?Take a look and see what, if anything, you can add to the work that you already enjoy. Once youve got a few things in mind, set up time to talk to your boss about making it happen.3. Things That Stress You OutThis bucket has things that might be interesting or could become fun if you just had more learning or help.So cast a beady eye over this list and ask yourself, Is there a company or free online class I can take to help me learn this skill? Or, Can I talk to my boss about getting more help?Or even think about asking for an assist from a co-worker who might have more knowledge than you and could help you enjoy these tasks more.Option 2Find a New JobI know, this is a scary optionBut if youve already tackled option one and discovered that you absolutely hate everything on your plate, then staying at your job isnt helping your company, and it especially isnt helping you.All you need to start job hunting is two hours a week. Use one hour to research and identify interesting jobs and companies, and use the other hour to reach out and connect with your network and let them know youre looking for something new. It doesnt have to be a huge deal, especially at first. Instead, jus t tackle it one piece at a time. When youre ready to start applying, you can begin spending more time on the process.And remember, the sooner you dedicate time to the job search, the sooner you might have a career that makes you smile- for real this timeRegardless of which option you end up choosing, remember this You deserve to have a job in which you can be yourself.