Even if you accept lower pay, never accept soul destroying work, or a workplace that stifles you. If doing what you love is not achievable yet, at least find something ‘neutral’ that you don’t hate. You will free-up immense creative and emotional energy. 

Is your pain priced-in? 

People often put up with terrible jobs working for terrible bosses because the pay is ‘good’. But, at what cost to their mental and overall health? Is it worth it? Of course, the assessment is subjective, yet how many actually price-in the pain of a bad workplace. Think of it in terms of risk and return when making an investment. The higher the risk, the higher the return should be, right?  

Well, have you explicitly priced-in how much higher your pay (return) needs to be for the emotional risk of doing soul destroying work? Then there are certain risks that are never worth taking, and the pain of a sterile or toxic workplace is easily one of them. Some things in life are just not negotiable, but what is not negotiable must be decided by you. And, one can tell a lot about someone by what they deem not negotiable. 

Soul destroying work is just not worth it

Slowly read the words ‘soul destroying work’. Really pay attention to their literal meaning. Do I really want to engage in something that destroys my soul? Isn’t it somewhat mad to even consider destroying my soul? 

Part of the problem is that modernity has normalised the ‘grind’. Our default tendency is to accept it, rather than challenge it. And, that is precisely the problem. That is precisely why you must become awake to the cost of soul destroying work. That is why you must consider if you have accidentally been negotiating on something as precious as your emotional health. 

Waking up

It all begins with waking up to your experiences and how you really feel in your role. The next question is what keeps you stuck in a place you clearly don’t want to be in? 

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Harsha is a 1:1 coach and independent thinker based in London. He empowers people to find more clarity, confidence and focus in their lives — to cut through the noise, in a world so full of it. Harsha’s new book, Machine Ego: Tragedy of the Modern Mind, is now available in paperback and Kindle through Amazon.