Meet Amelia.
When we first started working together, she was unhappy with her job and felt completely lost.
She was overwhelmed, uninspired by daily life, and unsure of what to do next.
Once we dug a little deeper, we realised the job wasn’t the problem. It was her lifestyle.
Sure, Amelia could have quit her job, but if she hadn’t taken the time to figure out what the underlying issue was, she would have found herself stuck in the same rut somewhere else.
The truth is… Quitting your job isn’t always going to be the answer.*
It’s about finding ways to enjoy your life despite the setbacks so you can feel happy and fulfilled every single day. (And this is exactly what I did with Amelia.)
Here are 7 proven ideas to implement today. I encourage you to bookmark this page so you can return to it whenever you need to.
*Unless you’re in a toxic job, then get the hell out of there
A life you enjoy is possible.
Amelia felt disconnected. From herself and with others.
She didn’t have much of a social life, and her work-life boundaries were nonexistent. This was impacting her mental health and well-being more than she realised.
From our first session, it was clear that Amelia wasn’t fully prepared to quit her job. So, instead of diving into drastic changes, we committed to making small, manageable shifts first.
We focused on a different area of her life each week and stripped it right the way back to see EXACTLY where she was feeling unsatisfied and what was causing her to feel that way.
The result?
Amelia set meaningful goals for her life outside of work — goals she was genuinely excited and motivated to achieve. She started stepping out of her comfort zone, going on solo trips, being more social and prioritising self-care.
Amelia is now not only maintaining those results but also setting new, more ambitious goals that will push her even more out of her comfort zone. We’re talking about her living on her own and potentially moving to a new country.
Amelia has gained a new level of confidence in herself and no longer questions the direction she’s headed in career-wise. She’s happier, less anxious and feels both socially and mentally fulfilled.
And now it’s your turn.
9 proven ways to enjoy your life (even if you hate your job)
By making simple changes, you can get unstuck and fall in love with your life so you can start enjoying it again. Here are 9 proven tips to implement today.
I encourage you to bookmark this page so you can refer back to it whenever you need it most.
1 | Do a life audit
I get it. You’re trapped in Groundhog Day, and your job is currently draining your passion and energy for life. You’re unhappy and feel as though you’re wasting your life behind a desk.
But is it really your job that’s the problem, or is it you?
Let’s get radically honest…
Yes, there might be certain areas of your life that you’re unsatisfied with (e.g. career, social life), but chances are, there are still aspects that you still enjoy. (e.g. health, self-care)
The key is to boost your satisfaction in all areas so you can feel happier and more fulfilled in everything you do. But you first need to know where to focus your attention.
This brings you to the “pre-step” step — doing a life audit.
This audit will involve taking stock of your entire life so you can get clear on what aspects of your life suck and start making intentional changes now.
Action steps:
- Draw a circle on a piece of paper and split it up into 8-12 equal sections
- Write an important area of your life in each section
- Go through each area and ask yourself on a scale of 1 to 10 how satisfied you are
- Reflect on the areas with your highest scores
- Looking at your lowest scores, choose an area to work on
2 | Start the day with a morning routine
When you wake up, instead of hitting that snooze button and jumping out of bed at the last possible moment to rush through the day, spend time nourishing your mind and body.
Morning routines on social media are made out to be active, sweaty and a bit of a chore. But the truth is, they can be slow, enjoyable and fun.
There is no one-size-fits-all approach to building the perfect morning routine. It’s about what works for you.
So, choose rituals that you’ll actually enjoy and that best suit your personality and lifestyle.
And don’t forget to set an intention for the day.
By setting an intention for your day, you can actively show up for yourself and your needs, allowing your day to happen for you, not to you. And, of course, making your day a lot more enjoyable in the long run.
You can do this by working through these quick prompts:
- How do I want my day to go?
- How would I like to feel by the end of today?
- How can I make this happen?
Action steps:
- Map out your ideal morning habits and activities
- Create a realistic time-frame, e.g. how long will your routine be?
- Test out your routine before fully committing to it
- Keep it flexible in case things need to change
- Track your progress
3 | Practice gratitude
One of the main reasons why we hate life is that we’ve lost sight of the good stuff.
We focus mainly on the negatives, the shit that’s going on in the world and our setbacks. But if you want to truly enjoy your day, then you need to learn to appreciate the simple joys of life.
No matter how tedious that thing might be, like being grateful for a warm bed, being healthy or having access to clean water.
Practising gratitude improves your overall outlook on life and makes you happier in the process.
So don’t skip this step.
I promise you’ll have a much more enjoyable day when you open your eyes to all the good things happening in your life and don’t just focus on the mess.
Journal prompts:
- List 3 things you love about yourself
- Write about something that makes you look forward to waking up
- Name someone or something that makes your life happier
- List 3 things you get to do today
- What would make today great?
4 | Prioritise self-care daily
Let’s face it: unexpected challenges and obstacles are inevitable.
Whether it’s daily, weekly or monthly, roadblocks are bound to happen — it’s a fact of life. (Seriously, in the words of Lauren Conrad, “Life’s tough, get a helmet .”)
But that doesn’t mean you can’t still enjoy life.
So, be that person who laughs through the tears. This isn’t about toxic positivity; this is about having the emotional resilience to work through the shitty things that happen and move on.
And it is self-care that makes this resilience stronger.
If you are not taking care of yourself, then you cannot perform as well as you want to in all aspects of life — whether at work, with friends or when reaching your goals.
Self-care is what helps keep your “cup” full so you can continue to show up with a healthy mindset for yourself and for others.
But before you start rolling your eyes at prioritising self-care yet again, just remember that it doesn’t have to be an all-day event to be effective. Short doses might be all you need to reset and recharge.
This might look like:
- Reading for 20 minutes as soon as you wake up
- Going on a 30-minute walk
- Engaging in a 25-minute yoga flow
- Taking a 5-minute break in between tasks
- Journaling for 10 minutes before you go to bed
5 | Rediscover your passions
Ok, I’m not going to lie. Adulting is hard.
Work, chores, responsibilities, etc. It’s so easy to prioritise work over our own personal passions.
But you need to remember, your career does not define your entire identity. There is so much more to you than any job title or salary.
You are unique and come with plenty of interests and passions. You just might have lost them along the way.
Stop taking life so seriously and loosen the grip on being an adult. Because amidst all of your responsibilities, you deserve to have fun. As Ralph Waldo Emerson once said, “Playtime is an essential part of our daily routine.”
So do not skip this step!
Reconnecting with who you are at your core involves peeling back the layers of outside influences and outdated beliefs and rediscovering the things you’re truly passionate about.
Passion fuels enjoyment. If you’re not passionate about something, chances are you’ll get bored easily and fall into a rut. And your job will be the first thing you question.
Journal prompts:
- What do you love doing in your free time?
- What activities bring you genuine joy?
- What can you do for hours without getting bored?
- What activities would you like to pursue if money wasn’t an object?
- What topics or interests do you enjoy reading about?
6 | Start a new hobby
Stop sacrificing self-care for success. Because you can have both.
Success can look like having fun every day and rediscovering the joy of doing something meaningful that is not tied to your productivity.
Success can look like allowing yourself to slow down, be silly and enjoy life.
Let’s normalise the fact that life is about more than just your work. It’s about discovering who you truly are away from daily responsibilities and prioritising your happiness over what is expected of you.
Having a set of hobbies not only allows you to experience the joy you’ve been missing out on, but they also bring more meaning to your life and identity. But before you get stuck in any random hobby, I suggest figuring out what you’re actually interested in first.
What I mean is, don’t take up gardening if you hate the outdoors or can’t stand insects. You want to find a hobby that aligns with your passions and interests. (As you outlined above).
Action steps:
- Set a 3-minute timer
- Write a bucket list of hobbies you’ve always wanted to try
- Rank your activities from 1 – 10 depending on how much they will push you out of your comfort zone (1 being the least and 10 being the most)
- Take the 10th (or very last) activity on your list and schedule it into your week
- Continue this every week until you’ve completed all the hobbies on your list
7 | Set ambitious goals outside of work
There are hundreds of goals you can choose to achieve that aren’t “get a promotion, buy a house, get married or have kids.” So don’t just settle for one career, one location or one way of living
Give yourself permission to explore all that life has to offer.
Things are far more exciting that way.
Whether it’s learning a new skill, going on that dream trip or even training for a marathon, setting personal goals outside of work reminds you that life is about so much more than just your 9-to-5.
These goals will push you out of your comfort zone, make life more enjoyable and give you a deeper sense of purpose. So, start dreaming BIG and create a life you can’t wait to wake up to.
Action steps:
- Map out your core values
- Set 1-2 goals that support each of your core values
- Ask yourself, “What is the positive impact on each of my values if I achieve this goal?”
- If you can’t think of anything, then adjust your goal until it aligns with your core values
- Once you’ve set your goals, break them down into manageable chunks
8 | Take advantage of your 5-to-9 routine
If you want to enjoy your life, you need to build a life outside of work.
And your after-work “5 to 9” routine is probably the best chance you’ll get to focus on what truly matters to you beyond your job.
So use your time wisely.
Instead of spending your evenings rotting in bed and binge-watching Netflix, get intentional. Hold space for the things that will support your growth and put in the effort to create a better life— a more fulfilling one.
How to spend your 5 to 9:
- Reset and get organised
- Move your body and cook a homemade meal
- Set personal goals from your health to your relationships
- Rest, but make it creative
- Wind down with an evening routine
9 | Read Stay & Slay
This is the book I wish I had when I was deep in burnout and thought the only way out was quitting.
Don’t get me wrong, my job was toxic, and I knew I couldn’t stay. But after walking away, it took me a good few years to figure out how to actually heal and build a life I love.
This book is everything I learnt along the way (minus all the trial and error).
It breaks down The Anti-Burnout Framework™ into a digestible roadmap to a life that’s aligned, magnetic, and unapologetically yours.
You’ll learn the truth about what’s causing your burnout and how to fix it from the inside out so you can finally feel energised, fulfilled, and in control again.
And because I’m not here to waste your time, it comes with a 50-page workbook so you can implement every strategy and actually see results IRL
Action steps:
- Get your copy of Stay & Slay™
- Sit somewhere quiet and read one chapter at a time (no need to rush)
- Highlight or jot down anything that resonates with you
- Slay-as-you-go by working through the companion workbook alongside each section
- Come back to your favourite sections whenever you need a boost or reminder
Final thoughts
The key to enjoying your life is to do something that scares you. Every. Single. Day.
Whether that is healing from past trauma with journaling and therapy or booking that solo trip to Thailand.
Life looks totally different when you finally step out of the comfort zone holding you back and achieve ambitious goals outside of work. But I get it; leaving your comfort zone can feel scary and overwhelming. It’s one of the main reasons why we stay stuck.
We fear being judged, so we play it safe and hold ourselves back from what we truly want.
We fear financial instability, so we stay in a job that drains us.
We fear being on our own, so we settle for unhealthy relationships.
But once you ease the fear and embrace the unknown, you will grow so much as a person and thrive in ALL areas of your life.
And most importantly, you’ll feel so much happier and more fulfilled in everything you do.
You’ve got this.
Thalia xx
