Are you stuck in a job you hate? While everyone else is trying to stay positive and focus on being thankful this week, you’re finding it difficult. But we’re here to help! If you hate your job you still have a few things to be thankful for. It’s time to reframe your perspective so you can move on and enjoy the holidays with your family and friends:

Teaches you what you don’t want: Sure, you may have an idea of what you don’t want your work day to look like in the abstract but until you get some work experience under your belt it’s hard to tell if your ideas will line up with reality. If you hate the way you’re being managed or the tasks you’re working on, this is incredibly valuable information! Knowing what you don’t want will help you find a job you really do want in the future.

Any technical experience you gained will come in handy in future jobs: Maybe you’re not a fan of your job on the whole but you’re still gaining some technical experience. Be thankful for that! This will advance your skills as you look for a new opportunity and eventually qualify you for more advanced, exciting positions. Try to soak up all of the technical knowledge and experience that you can, you’ll be thankful for it when you’re interviewing for your next job!

Able to search for a new opportunity and be more selective: You’re not happy where you’re at but, in the meantime, you have a steady paycheck coming in. This can be invaluable as you search for a new opportunity because you have the income to allow you to take your time in finding that perfect next opportunity. You don’t have to take the first thing that comes your way and, instead, you can weigh your options and wait for opportunity to strike. Be thankful that your current paycheck is allowing you to be more selective in your job search, even if you don’t enjoy your day-to-day work life at the moment.

Let the negativity inspire you to amp up your skills: You may not have learning or growth opportunities in your current position. Take the negativity you feel towards your current situation and turn it into motivation! If you use some of your free time now to amp up your skillset, maybe by learning new technology or simply furthering your expertise, you’ll be qualified for more and better opportunities down the road.

Identify your counterproductive triggers: If you hate the management and leaders, take note of which traits are counterproductive and slowing you down. This will come in handy if you ever want to move into a leadership role at another organization. Most leaders will tell you that they’ve learned significantly more from bad leaders than they ever have from leaders who set a good example. Be thankful for the bad experience because now you know you’ll never be as bad of a leader as your boss is.

Daydreaming of your perfect day job: What company culture do you find yourself dreaming of? What changes do you wish they would make? What do you imagine a great workplace would be like? Look for those in future positions. This is your time to delve deep into your imagination and identify workplace features that would make you thankful on a daily basis. Then, look for those in your next position.

The holiday season reminds us to be thankful for what we have and, with a little reframing, you can even be thankful for your current job that you hate. Don’t let a negative work experience overwhelm your senses when you should be having fun with your family and friends! Take advantage of reframing so you can go and have fun, then start looking for a job opportunity that suits you better. Happy Holidays!