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Work is one of those places where you spend the majority of your time and it can easily become overwhelming, to say the least.
There is no workplace that is always 100% perfect! There could be a problem with the management structure, co-workers, the office itself, the bathroom, parking, and even the maintenance workers. Sure, this might lead to your ultimate frustration but trust us when we say, the best thing to do is keep it to yourself. I am a firm believer in”There is a time and place for everything” and venting at work is not the time nor place.
I’ve found that most people at work have an agenda which usually involves getting a promotion and possibly taking your position. You never know who is trying to be besties with the boss and will become an informant and repeat everything you say without hesitation. Believe it or not, this is usually the person who seems the most caring and pretends to care about your frustrations.
If you are frustrated with your current situation and want to give everyone a piece of your mind, here are a few things to do instead:
1. Have a time Limit on your Frustration
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Believe it or not, this actually works! Admittedly, this was implemented by my boyfriend back in the day and to my surprise, it worked! Whenever I was overly emotional and angry he would always say ” Ok, take 5-10 minutes to vent and let it out your system then move on” This, of course, would be different in a work setting as you don’t want to seem like that crazy person who speaks negatively about the job for 10 whole minutes. What you’ll do is go to the bathroom and vent quietly in the stall — whether you choose to cry or scream in a paper bag or mumble stuff under your breath this is your moment to let it all out OR in the words of Usher “Let it Burn”. After you’ve done this, you will return to your desk like the calm and sane person you are feeling so much better!
2. Take a Walk
This is actually one of my favourite techniques as it allows me to remove myself from a toxic situation or environment and prevents me from saying something I will regret. Ladies, you know how we can sometimes get when we become emotional removing all rational thoughts and end up making a fool of ourselves? Let’s be real, you’ve probably done this and feel super silly after, I know I have. Walking away from the situation allows you to clear your head and thoughts and even allows you to gain some perspective on the situation at hand.
Speak to your boss calmy and let them know you are going for a walk (and not walking off the job) and give them a realistic time-frame when you will be back. When I say take a walk I don’t mean “Take a walk to the nearest bar” to drink your sorrows away. I’ve seen this happen recently (to a co-worker) and it did not end well — he kinda lost his job because not only did he walk off his job but he was super drunk in the middle of the day during work hours.
3. Write down your negative feelings
I know we are from a society where feelings are down-played ( I live in Jamaica ) but I’ve found that journaling always helps.
You can do this in two (2) ways:
– Get a journal with lined pages and write everything down then list all the Pros and Cons and write if you walk off the job, all the possible things that could happen and also if you stay. This is simply transferring your energy from one vessel (yourself) to the next (a book)
– Emotion Jar: This is more figurative but! You pretty much write an emotion on a piece of paper you are feeling in the moment and toss it in the trash can. You can tear it if you like since it works and within a matter of minutes, the emotion will be gone because it’s like you threw it away!
4. Seek Counsel From HR
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Yes! HR.. you know “Human Resources”, they do more than hire and fire people and are well equipped to deal with work situations. I remember during one of my “Devil Wears Prada” work situations I had to seek counsel from HR as my boss was legit crazy and her demands were even crazier.
HR taught me some coping mechanisms which actually worked and they told me all my rights as an employee and no matter what happens to never just “walk off the job” as this might be detrimental in the long run. Jamaica is a small country and if I simply walk-off a job and burn bridges the next place I work might see this as questionable.
Do you vent at work? Let me know some ways you deal with frustrating situations on the Job.
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