Why do we stay in jobs that we don’t like?
Why do we complain so much but still are not willing to move on ourselves? I mean this is my personal opinion and my journey so take it as much as you wish but the fact is I do work in corporate. I also do have my own reasons, and I need to live with them every day.
Now for me personally this was a way I wanted to go after coming back from living abroad. I was dysregulated, confused and needed order. Corporate work suited the need perfectly. Decent salary, benefits and the job was fine. I mean things like annoying managers, impossible coworkers or total unfairness of everything happening here is normal but overall something I believed I needed.
Now moving forward three years in the company and I see the crazy things that are happening here and honestly, besides some very toxic parts of the work, it’s okay. I don’t love it, it doesn’t make much sense to me, the concept of working in this field is beyond me, but it gives me the money. That’s exactly what I needed. The problem started when I realized that I don’t want to come here every day, that it kind of kills my spirit and I completely lose myself for a while there. But don’t worry, I found myself and now I can say that this is one of the experiences I won’t be regretting in the future.
So let’s get back to why we stay in the corporate environment? I was wondering and started researching. I mean there are pretty obvious reasons that can be different depending on country but the things like benefits, competitive salaries or stability are well understood reasons not only nowadays.
The Global Reality: We’re Not Alone in This
When I started digging into the research, I realized my experience isn’t unique—it’s actually very common thing. Three out of four workers worldwide are just going through the motions, like me on most Mondays.
So what does the research actually say? Only 21% of workers are fully engaged worldwide, while 66% are suffering. Sixty-six percent. That’s not a few unhappy people—that’s the majority of the global workforce quietly enduring jobs that drain them.
One interesting thing is that 50% of employees are actively seeking new jobs? Of course I’m not surprised—I’m one of them, have been for most of 2025. Yet most of us stay. Half of us are looking for the exit, but we remain stuck in place. I mean we need to pay rent and mortgage somehow.
The Fear That Keeps Us Paralyzed
Our routines trap us. The uncertainty of starting over terrifies us. So we stay. We choose the stability we know, even when it’s making us miserable, over the risk of something different.
That’s exactly it. I know what my miserable Monday looks like. I know which meetings will drain me, which colleague will say something passive-aggressive, which tasks will bore me to tears. It’s predictable suffering. But what if I leave? That’s unknown suffering. And our brains are wired to choose the devil we know.
There’s something more though because corporates are also trying to make us change who we are. I regularly hear from my manager, “don’t be so loud” and then in the very next moment “but please stay true to yourself, we value your personality.” I don’t have to tell you that we all know we must play the game if we want to survive and I don’t know anyone who wouldn’t struggle with management at a workplace but the ridiculousness is sometimes too much.
The contradictions make you lose yourself—be yourself but conform, speak up but not too loudly, be authentic but professional. And that loss of self makes it even harder to imagine leaving, because you’re no longer sure who you’d be without this job.
As I’m in the situation where I’m actively searching and exploring other options, I’m still stuck here. But I’ve established a great routine to help me actually be happy where I am—not settling or giving up, but accepting the situation and getting the utmost from it until something better comes along. I have many tools here on the page, but I definitely recommend reading Better Every Day with plenty of tips and Finding Your Personal Morning Routine which I find priceless.
The Golden Handcuffs: When Money Becomes a Prison
This is probably no surprise for most of us but teh reason why we stay the most are money. The research has a term for it—“golden handcuffs syndrome“—and it’s exactly what it sounds like. We stay not because we love the work, not because we feel fulfilled, but because the paycheck is too good to walk away from. The financial incentives outweigh everything else, including our own wellbeing
For me, it’s straightforward: the job gives me the money I need.
We’re not just staying for the money—we’re convincing ourselves that the misery is worth it. We tell ourselves: “Just until the bonus.” “Just until I pay off the mortgage.” “Just until…” But “just until” becomes years.
Even through all of this, 27% of peole believe they’re not paid fairly, yet they stay anyway. Financial necessity overrides wellbeing.
Please if you struggle with mental wellbeing do not underestimate it. Seek a help if you can. I have many tools to support your mental state here’s ……..
The Exhaustion That Traps Us Further
If it ends with 8 hours at work okay but we take these emotions home adn it affects everything in our life.
You come home exhausted, scroll mindlessly, tell yourself you’ll update your resume this weekend. But when the weekend comes, you’re too depleted to even think about it. The statistics bear this out: “44% report physical fatigue, 36% cognitive weariness, 32% emotional exhaustion”. We’re sick both physically and emotionally.
To be completely honest, before going through my coaching course I woke up almost every day with an anxiety attack just thinking about going to the office. And the second I left after work, the first step out, a heavy stone lifted from my chest.
And this is exactly why I decided to do something about my situation. Understandably we have different opportunities and resources and not all of us can, for example, just leave the job that drains us. But there are other ways you can help yourself feel better and maybe even completely fine with your current situation. Either way it’s your choice, your personal journey and no one else can decide for you what is okay and what’s not.
The Art of Convincing Ourselves “It’s Not That Bad”
No matter the situation you’re in we all need to make money and therefore unfortunately we all need to do something to make it. I don’t say corporate is all bad or that we’re caged in here but only that it’s not for everyone and from my personal experience I see people not being satisfied in corporate but play the game because it’s easier than finding a new job, accepting less pay but a better position or simply afraid of changes.
This is where the psychology gets really interesting. When we can’t leave (or believe we can’t), our brains protect us by changing how we perceive the situation. We engage in what psychologists call cognitive dissonance—we rationalize our suffering to make it bearable.
I see it every day. While I was actively seeking another job many of my coworkers told me that they are simply too lazy to do so or that the idea of going to the interviews again itself just prevent them to do so as it’s really sickening.
The research from 2025 showed that people aren’t happier—they’re just better at convincing themselves things are acceptable. We’re not thriving; we’re settling.
But across all regions, the pattern is the same: we stay, we suffer, and we tell ourselves it’s fine.
So Why Do We Stay?
We’re not staying because we’re weak or lazy. We stay because we’re human—we avoid uncertainty, depend on income, let the system exhaust us, and convince ourselves that suffering is just part of life.
It’s clear why we stay, but what can we do to make every day easier, to focus on the positives and stay open to new opportunities? Because they will come to you if you don’t block yourself.
What Can We Actually Do About It?
Perhaps the most important insight from all this research is this: recognizing the trap is the first step. Understanding that 66% of the global workforce is suffering means you’re not alone, you’re not weak, and you’re not crazy for feeling this way.
The question isn’t really “why do we stay?” The question is: “Now that I understand why I stay, what am I going to do about it?”
I know exactly why I am here. But I did a lot of work around it. That’s why I am absolutely fine with it now—I actually have some fun here every day and I don’t let the negatives affect me. But see, this didn’t happen overnight. As a certified coach, I know how to work with my emotions and how to have strong boundaries so certain things cannot enter my regulation system. I’d love to help you achieve the same thing. That’s why I’ve created resources specifically for people stuck in situations like this.
You don’t have to stay miserable while you’re figuring out your next move.
Start by becoming MAGNETIC—stop chasing opportunities and start attracting them by aligning with your true self. Shift your money mindset so financial fear doesn’t paralyze you with the Money Mindset Makeover guide. Embrace your authentic self even in corporate environments with tools designed to boost your confidence and protect your energy.
And when everything feels overwhelming, learn to focus on what actually matters with practical frameworks that help you navigate the chaos. Grab all the free resources here and start doing the inner work that makes every day easier—whether you stay or go.
Remember: 66% of the global workforce is suffering, but you don’t have to be part of that statistic. You can be stuck in corporate AND be okay. You can be searching for something better AND be present where you are. You can play the game AND keep your soul intact. It’s your choice, your personal journey, and no one else can decide for you what is okay and what’s not.
I found my answer, and it’s working for me. Now it’s your turn to find yours. I’m here if you need support along the way.
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