Unless you’re one of the lucky few who are independently wealthy, you’ll need to work to make a living. It’s just a fact of life! 

And if you have to do something, then you’ll ideally have a good relationship with it. Alas, a ‘good relationship with work’ is not something that most people have. Most people dread Sunday evenings because it means they’re only a few hours away from going back to the office.

If that sounds like you, then remember that there are plenty of things you can do that’ll improve your relationship with the working side of your life. We’ll run through some handy ways to do just that below. 

Handle the Annoying Elements

In all likelihood, you won’t dislike every aspect of your job. When you actually break it down, you’ll likely find that there are actually only a few things that negatively impact your enjoyment of work. It’s just that those things have a disproportionately large impact on your experience, making work feel worse than it really is. 

The solution? Do your best to handle those elements. It might be that you can’t stand the commute, in which case you could find ways to make it more fun (podcasts, learning a second language). Maybe you don’t like how your body feels after sitting down all day, in which case you can find ways to treat your body better at work. 

Whatever problem is bringing you down, just remember that there’ll almost certainly be a solution for it!

Increase Your Salary

You’ll find that you can handle the stresses and strains of your job much better if you feel that you’re getting paid sufficiently for your work. Most employees don’t realize that it’s normally possible to get an increase in their salary, it’s just that they typically have to make the request themselves; most businesses don’t make a habit of giving out raises unless they have to. If you’ve been working well and haven’t had a raise in a while, then speak to your boss. It’s probable that they’d rather give you a raise rather than have to find, hire, and train a replacement. 

Start Your Own Venture

Most people think that their only source of income is their primary work. Yet, while that might be where the bulk of your money comes from, it doesn’t have to be the only way that you make money. In this day and age, it couldn’t be easier to start your own venture and begin making money. In Spanish they say, ganar plata por internet, which just means making money via the internet. There are dozens of ways to make money online, including starting a dropshipping business, running a blog, or publishing an ebook. Not only can these methods and others provide a second income, but they can also provide deep work satisfaction — there’s nothing quite like making money for yourself!

Add More Flexibility

Even people who enjoy their work can struggle if it feels like they’re never in control of their own lives. If you’re beginning to feel that you’re constantly living your life by someone else’s expectations (your employers), then look to see if you can add more flexibility and autonomy to your life. Most employers are happy to allow their employees to work from home, for instance. So long as you continue to deliver your best work, then they probably won’t mind. And you’ll feel much better about Sunday evenings if you know that, when Monday comes around, you get to choose whether you work from the office or home. 

Make Time For Yourself 

It can be difficult to carve out time for ourselves in the modern working world. After all, with competition for the best jobs highly competitive, many of us believe that we have to go above and beyond just to stay ahead — and that often means working longer hours than we’d like, which impacts the time we have for ourselves and our loved ones. While you might be happy to dedicate your energy to work on a short-term basis, over the long-term you’ll need to treat yourself as a priority if you’re going to find fulfillment. Setting a cut-off time and putting a gap between your professional and personal lives can do wonders. 

Don’t Be Afraid To Change

Finally, if you’re truly not happy with your work and don’t think you will be, then consider making a change. It takes courage to make a career change, but if you know that it’s the right move, then you won’t regret it!