I used to be in a job I hated. Every Sunday evening I’d sit on my sofa with a pit of dread in my stomach (Sunday Scaries anyone?) knowing I was back at work the next day.

I thought about quitting, but I was only three months in to a new job. Instead, I decided to apply everything I knew about manifesting. I consciously changed how I felt about my work, and in return, my work shifted.

Prefer to watch? Here’s the video version:

Here are 9 powerful things you can do if you want to:

stop dreading work
learn to love your job again
prepare to find something new

1. Reframe your mindset: focus on the benefits of your job

Instead of focusing on what you don’t like about your work, reframe it, and start thinking about the benefits.

Think about:

The salary that helps cover your expenses and buy things you need and want
The skills you’re learning – you can take these skills to a new job
The people you meet at work who can become part of your network or a friend

Keep a list of these benefits and add to it every time you think of something new.

The more time you spend in the energy of how work is benefiting you, the more benefits you’ll see, and the better you’ll feel. When you notice you’ve started to feel better, acknowledge yourself for shifting your vibration into a higher frequency.

2. Maximise your role: gain new skills and training

I had a friend who took free training at work to become a mental health first aider. He loved it so much, he retrained as a counsellor, eventually quitting his job and becoming a therapist.

It can feel like our job is all take and no give. So get everything you can from your job. You could:

Ask to be sent on courses
Volunteer for projects that stretch you
Make suggestions for improvements and offer to implement them

You’ll gain new insights which may spark new passions, and gain skills you can offer to a new employer.

3. Improve work relationships: build a supportive network

Some of my best friendships began in the workplace, and I get job offers from people I worked with years ago.

Extend your hand and invite a colleague for an in-person or online coffee and chat. You can talk about work, or what you enjoy outside of the workplace.

Even just one positive work friendship can radically change how your day feels.

4. How to deal with difficult colleagues by finding common ground

I once worked with a woman I found incredibly irritating. One day I decided to find things to appreciate about her. After a few weeks we started getting on much better, and developed a good working relationship.

If someone is driving you crazy, try finding one thing you can appreciate or value about them (easier to do when you’re not around them). Maybe they have a decent sense of humour or once helped you out with something.

Finding the positive in another person shifts your energy, and then when you engage with them, they interact with you on the level of your positive focus.

5. Refresh your workspace to boost productivity and mood

When was the last time you gave your workspace a spruce up?

The objects around us soak up our energy, and if we’ve been feeling off about work, having a clear out can signal a reset. So give your desk, locker, or tool bag some attention.

Clear out clutter
Clean, dust and polish
Organize your tools or files
Add something fresh – a plant, a picture, or a new tool

A simple refresh can feel like a clean slate.

💡 Want more inspiration like this?

Join my email community for gentle mindset shifts, manifestation tips, and stories to help you create work you love.

6. Stop complaining about work to shift your energy

I’ve had many a moan-fest with colleagues and friends about how much work sucked. It felt cathartic in the moment, but then I noticed I always came away feeling worse.

You don’t have to pretend you like your job when you don’t. And sometimes a quick vent can feel healing. But lots of complaining about how awful your job is will reinforce its awfulness. We attract more of what we focus on. So instead big up the things you enjoy and find uplifting and see how much better you feel afterwards.

7. Celebrate small wins to build confidence and momentum

I work from home and every Friday morning I walk to my local bakery and buy myself a pastry. While I eat it, I write down the successes, big and small, from my week.

Celebrating ourselves isn’t something we do enough of in our culture, but it can be incredibly powerful to recognise our achievements. Don’t wait for someone else to notice your efforts. Celebrate and appreciate yourself. Maybe you:

Solved a problem
Finished a project
Reached a milestone
Simply had one stress-free day

Write down all your wins and bask in your amazingness.

8. Create a fulfilling life outside of work to reduce anxiety

Does your work dread spill into your free time?

When I hated my job, the anxiety I felt used to seep into my evenings and weekends, leaving a dark cloud over me. I decided to make sure I got out and did things I enjoyed. You could:

arrange to meet friends
go for a walk in your local park – being in nature’s great for our emotional wellbeing
go to the cinema, bowling, karaoke or anything that you enjoy

Remind yourself that work is only a part of your life, so make sure to enjoy time outside work as much as you can. It can be a great distraction and offer much needed relief.

9. Create an exit strategy while you develop new skills

Sometimes work dread is your sign that it’s time to move on. And even if you can’t leave immediately, while you’re making the most of the situation you’re in, having an exit plan is powerful.

Ask yourself:

What kind of work would truly light me up?
What skills could I build now to prepare for that role?
Who could I connect with to expand my opportunities?

Building your exit gives you the space to dream about what you want to do next, and the empowering feeling that you’re moving towards it.

My work dread lifted

A few weeks after including these 9 practices in my life, I began to feel more in charge of how I felt. Knowing I could change my perspective and focus, empowered me.

And after a few months, things at my job began to shift, reflecting the changes in me. My environment became calmer, my job easier and even pleasant.

I changed my vibration from dread to seeing the positives I could take from my job, and my job mirrored those positive perspectives back to me.

👉 Which of these practices most resonates with you that you’ll try first?

If you’d like to explore how you could manifest a job that lights you up, book a free call with me.

FAQs on manifesting job satisfaction

Here's some of the most common questions about getting rid of job dread and manifesting job satisfaction.

I hate my job and don’t want to be there, but I can’t leave right now. What can I do?

Your power lies in what you focus on. Start by noticing what you do gain from your job – maybe it’s the income, stability, or a skill you’re developing. Shifting your attention changes how you feel and raises your vibration. In time, you’ll see the shifts you make on the inside, reflected back to you in the outside world.

How can I stop the ‘Sunday dread’?

To ease that Sunday-night anxiety, gently redirect your focus. Think about what you’re learning or gaining from your current job. Remind yourself that you’re not truly stuck, but are preparing yourself for something better. Make a commitment to doing the practices, but also treat yourself with kindness and compassion.

Can manifestation techniques really help me enjoy my job?

Yes. We vibrate in harmony with whatever we put our attention on. When you put your attention on what feels good and serves you, you become a vibrational match to people, situations and experiences of the same frequency. As you change how you feel, your job naturally reflects your higher vibration.

How quickly will I manifest a better feeling job if I change how I feel about my job?

It can happen very quickly. When I refocused how I felt about my job, my anxiety lessened almost immediately, and within three months, I saw a significant, beneficial, shift in my role. How quickly it shifts for you depends on your situation and how consistently you practise feeling better.

How do I know when it’s time to quit my job?

First, direct your energy towards anything you can appreciate about your work. If you leave while feeling despondent, you may well get another job that matches that energy. When you’re in better spirits, turn your focus inwards and imagine yourself staying where you are. Then imagine yourself moving to something new. Which feels better? That’s your answer.

Hate your job but can’t quit? 9 ways to stop the dread and manifest job satisfaction