Last week we talked about the excitement children have for daily life and how that excitement tends to fade as we enter adulthood. As we discussed, one common reason adults tend to be less excited about life is because we often dislike (or even hate) our job. You spend quite a lot of your time at work, so working a job you hate is one sure way to lose excitement for daily life.

You might be thinking, “is it even realistic for adults to really enjoy life?” And the short answer is: Absolutely yes! But as a society, we’ve been conditioned to believe that if you’re enjoying life too much, you must not be working hard enough. When you really stop to think about the fact that all we have is this one life, it makes you wonder when or how you will ever start to enjoy it. Let’s fix that.

First of all, the elephant in the room has got to be… work. Even reading that word can cause stress and dread in someone who truly hates their job. But the impact that hating your job has on your life is tremendous. We spend an incredible amount of time at work. So, whatever we are doing for a living needs to have some amount of enjoyment, or we will be destined for misery at one point or another. Research shows that those who hate their job are more likely to develop anxiety, depression, insomnia, more frequent illnesses, unintended weight changes, stomach problems and even strained interpersonal relationships. None of that sounds like fun to me.

I get it though, it’s not like we all can just quit our job simply because we don’t like it. So then, should we just buckle up for a life of misery and stress? Well, no. But the answer requires you to think outside of the box a little.

One option would be to find something you’re passionate about and start your own business. But that would likely take some time, money to invest, and a decent amount of energy. If you can find something you love and have the resources to go this route, go for it! However, not everyone wants to have their own business. And even if you go the entrepreneurial route, you will likely need some form of income along the way. So, in the meantime, you must find a way to enjoy where you are in this present moment. Sure, this can be easier said than done. But who doesn’t love an occasional challenge? Start looking for the things at your job that you actually enjoy (even if there’s only a few small things) and focus more on those things than the things you dislike. You may even realize you don’t really hate your job that much, but you were just focusing on the wrong things. But if you truly do hate your job no matter how you look at it, you owe it to yourself to do something about thatyour future and your health depend on it.

Secondly, outside of work, you need to find out what brings you joy. Most of us are so disconnected from the feeling of joy that we don’t have any clue what those things are. So spend some time soul-searching and find what truly makes you happy. Then… find a way to do more of that. Whether you like arts and crafts, singing, building things, moving your body, fishing, or any of the other million hobbies out there, spending time doing what brings you joy is absolutely essential to long-term wellness and longevity. It does not have to be a lot of time at first; if you can find even a small chunk of time once a week to do something you enjoy, the pleasure that will add to your life is priceless.

If you can find a way to enjoy your job and do more of the things that bring you joy, in no time at all, you’ll be well on your way to enjoying your life a whole lot more!