1. Begin focusing on what you want instead of how much you want to escape. When you find yourself sharing the latest horror story, stop in mid-sentence and say, "What I want to have is…"
2. Create an image that describes you in your job. Are you on a riverbank with no way to get to the other side? Lost in a jungle? Poking through a thorny hedge? When you get comfortable with the image, begin visualizing a change in the obstacle. Imagine building a bridge across the river or finding a path in the forest. Don’t force the image or the change. When you’re ready it will come.
3. Think of developing skills, not serving time.
Take every course that’s offered and focus on skills that can lay a foundation for your own business or next job. Can you learn HTML or PowerPoint? Can you use some evenings, weekends and lunch hours to solicit some free lance gigs?
4. Give yourself a gift every day — a splurge of time or sensual taste buds. Read a book, talk to a friend, eat your favorite food. Don’t deaden your senses with alcohol (although if you’re a wine connoisseur, your special wine can be a gift) or spend big bucks at the mall. Think simple.
5. Find at least one thing in your life to appreciate: the softness of your cat’s fur, the winter sky, the spontaneous hug from a friend. Appreciate as much as possible about your job: the money, the view from the window, the new computer, friendly conversations with the guy down the hall. Savor the experience. Appreciation is the engine that attracts good things into your life.