You hate your job. How to hang on until hiring picks up.

Subscribe to enjoy similar stories. In today’s sluggish labor market, many workers cling to jobs they dread. The number of workers quitting voluntarily—a signal of confidence in the job market—has remained low for more than a year.

That shouldn’t be too surprising given the number of openings continue to decline, while the monthly hiring rate is at levels last seen after the 2007-09 recession. Staying safe in a job that you already have but don’t like comes with its own set of challenges—whether it’s a difficult boss, tedious responsibilities, few opportunities for advancement, or lousy pay. Is there a way to stay sane and committed in a role you would rather ditch while waiting for a new chance to come around? Yes, according to career coaches, though it requires some soul-searching, planning for what’s next and, frankly, sucking it up.

“I’m absolutely confident that in most cases you can get unstuck, you can make it less awful, you can create a better situation," said Beverly Jones, president of Clearways Consulting and author of “Find Your Happy at Work." “We all have the ability to manage our careers more than we think." Write a list of every aspect of your job that you don’t like. Be specific. Avoid general characterizations like “it’s boring." Instead, nail down the parts that are boring.

Then explore ways to make some of these better. For example, if you hate your commute to work, try leaving earlier to avoid traffic or play a podcast or audio book to pass the time. Next, recognize some of the annoying parts of your job are out of your control—like a rotten boss—and stop fighting against it.