SUNNY SIDE UP | how to handle the temporary job slump

As some of you may have read previously in one of my Sunny Side Up posts, I used to dream of living in a big city, going to an amazingly rigorous private college, and studying a passion that has been a dream my entire childhood: music.

After high school, I applied to a bunch of schools, and got into every single one. However, I  got pressured by my family to attend my least favorite school I had visited (a private school in upstate New York). I was promised a decent scholarship and financial aid, and the little bit that was left to pay, my family had said they would cover it if I had went. So, being naive, I chased after their dream and not my own. I went to an unsafe city that I absolutely despised, my anxiety took a turn for the worse, I didn’t adapt well and couldn’t make any friends, and I was starting to completely rethink my Music Industry major…. I was just downright unhappy.

So I spontaneously packed a weekend bag full of clothes and took a 7 hour road trip home one weekend, planning to return back that Sunday evening. I just needed to clear my head, get out of the city, calm down….

And let’s just say, the only time I ever stepped foot on that campus again was to grab the rest of my belongings.

Okay, so now that we are pretty much caught up let’s talk about right now: Currently, I am the Administrative Assistant at a leasing office for a community of over 800 homes. I work my tail off for terrible pay, I feel like I’m undervalued and underappreciated at times, and I’m just overall not as happy as I thought I be. It is simply not my passion. I won’t make this into a negative bash session against the company I work for, but just know that I’m really not happy with my current job and each day is a struggle to remain positive, but I’m trying my best.

The reason I am writing this post is because I know a lot of people who are currently a temporary phase in their life, whether it be a job that’s not actually a career they want, a school, a place they’re living, or just an state of mind that is dragging them down, a lot of people feel similarly. And I want to give those people some tips that I use to help me feel better when I start to think too much about this temporary lifestyle.

I know it’s hard to do, and it will take some practice, but try not to get too caught up in the negativity. Whenever you’re feeling down, take a moment to yourself, breathe a few deep breaths until you’re relaxed, and just remind yourself that it’s only temporary. You’re not a failure in any way. I like to think that this point in my life is basically just me stuck in traffic. I’m on my way somewhere nice, but right now there’s nothing I can do but sit there in it, enjoy the sunshine and the radio, and it will fix itself.

After I moved home, I was jobless, friendless, wasn’t speaking to my family, and was basically laying in bed and watching tons of Netflix. What helped me through that time was working out. I was going through a rough time and barely had any energy at all, but when I did muster up the energy I took towards going to the gym and it really helped me feel somewhat grounded. And now that I am employed and a good chunk of my unhappiness stems from my temporary job, I have found ways to combat that. I absolutely love blogging and yoga. And both of which are helping me get to my next set of career-oriented goals I have for myself. Both of these things keep my striving to overcome these hurdles, grow as a person, find inner strength, and learn to fall back in love with life. And the best part is, I’m sharing them with my readers to help along their own journeys as well.

This is something that I work on daily with myself. I’m kind of a control freak. And I definitely fear the unknown. But I try to remember that each day is a learning curve, each day I’m getting stronger, and perhaps even the negative things I’m going through are leading to a positive. For instance, when I get upset for leaving college, not investing in my education, and feeling like I’m going to amount to anything. I think about the fact that if I were still studying music in New York, I wouldn’t have my home. I wouldn’t be financially stable. I would be completely alone. I wouldn’t have my blog. I wouldn’t have as strong of a mental health as I do now. I wouldn’t have found where my true passions lay, what I actually want to do with my life, and what actually makes me the happiest ever. And that makes me trust that it’s going to be okay. Knowing that I’m working on myself and my goals is enough for right now. I remain positive, and trust that I will find my way eventually.

I hope this helps some of you feel a bit more secure and calm about your current situation.

Stay strong and in the light, everyone.  And as always, thanks for reading!