Community Chat

[MsCatLuver]

...such as office politics etc.  If YES, what do you do to manage the stress?

[151949]

I think to work in a situation where there is constant stress built into the job you need to be a certain personality to start with.Some people can cope and some can't. Usually those who can't pretty quickly find somewhere else to make a living.

As for the office drama type situation - it's best to not get involved. Go to work - do your job to the best of your ability and don't get involved with the drama queens.

[LisaMofSLC]

My job used to be the type one would never leave. It was fun, customers were great, and we got to talk about vacations. I work in the travel industry. We were fed, pampered and feted all the time. Over the last say 7 years, our work load has grown with new changes, we have fewer people since many have left and new people don't stay. Management has such high expectations towards sales now that my job has changed from what I frist hired on for. I hate sales! This non stats-based job is all stats now. I can take the now angry customers since my personality can handle concerns. But the high expectations from management and the busy times make me wonder at times if I could be fired. THAT is stressful in itself.

I think about that future employee-discounted vacation next year to help me get through. 

[CelticCrafter]

When it started to happen to my brother-in-law and my husband, they retired!

They had their time in and have good pensions and at retirement age neither one of them had any desire to engage in the office politics, games and drama that seemed to take over.

[SahmIam]

I believe mine is. There are times I go into the shower and just cry. Other times, I scream into a pillow. Food is my drug of choice and I battle with it daily. How do I relieve the stress? I don't think I really ever do. The amount of guilt I feel going out and enjoying myself is often overwhelming. Going for a walk, a bubble bath, hugging my sons, listening to classical music with a cup of tea..I hang out here during quiet moments...I read...I daydream but that can be dangerous because you can't go back nor is it healthy to dwell on what-if.

Those things help but...it's always there, you know. In the back of your mind; the stress really never goes away. You just....become one with it.

[Alison Wonderland]

Not every day, but projects and sitations are very stressful for short or very long long periods of time. My blood pressure goes WAY up when I'm under a lot of stress and I've experienced hair loss from too much stress, so managing it is really important for me.

I've found a few things to be helpful.

1) A meditation App. I use Calm, but there are many good ones. I meditate at night, but there is also an 'emergency' medidation I can do in 5 minutes on a break. Calm also features sounds, like beach waves, rain, a lake with birds, etc. I sometimes put my headphones in and play those sounds while I work.

2) An attitude adjustment. When things get bad, I remind myself that I have done everything in my power to make the project successful and escalated issues that might cause problems. If I've done everything I can, the rest is beyond my control and I cannot worry about it.

3) A walk around the block/building when things are bad. My office has a map that shows where to walk inside to make a 1 mile circuit. On nice days outside of my allergy seasons, I can also go outside. If I go alone, I bring my phone and earbuds and listen to some of my favorite music while I walk. If I can, I bring a friend and we can vent if we need to. 

4) Getting enough sleep. That's hard when stress keeps many of us awake at night. The Calm app has really helped me here, as well. There are some special medidations for sleep as well as 'sleep stories' that are read by people with soothing voices. One is called Drifting Off to Sheep and it features a Welshman describing his 20 favorite breeds of sheep. I have no idea what 15-20 are because these stories are effective and I've never stayed awake that long. I also use those sounds like the ocean waves or a rainstorm to help me sleep. Between the meditations for sleep, the sleep stories, and the sounds, I have far less trouble with insomnia and keeping my brain quiet than I did before the app.

[Carmie]

I worked in customer service for a health insurance company AKA...the complaint department.  I was swore at, yelled at and called names and was told I was stupid, a lier and a street walker among other things daily.  Many people quit and could not handle the stress.  I almost got beat up by a customer who came into the office to see me.

I just let it roll off of me and didn’t take it personal.

Customers were mad and needed to vent, so at let them.  Once they calmed down, I tried to help them.  By the time the call was over, most were thanking me.

Oh, but the office drama..it  was awful.  I even had a manager who encouraged drama turning the whole unit into a war zone.

After putting up with it for too many years, I had enough.  So, I stopped participating in every social thing.  No birthdays, no showers, no Xmas gift exchanges, etc.  i just said I could not afford it and it was causing financial difficulties. it was not well received, but finally they stopped bugging me.

i had coworkers who tried to sabotage me.  I just kept on working and when it got really bad, I kept copies of e-mails, and documented conversations and then I  reported it to HR, with proof and not to my manager.  It was taken care of.

I never socialized out side of work, except with a few people who were like minded.

bottom line...I went to work and did my job...period.  I also went out at lunch time and power walked a few miles get rid of the stress on occasion.

One of my friends who also worked there, used to car pool with her sister.  She said on the way home, they would crank up the radio and sing really loud. They got quite a few stares, which made them laugh and the stress was gone. They were a hoot.

 I noticed that if you an older worker and not in management, the younger workers think of you as old, tired and stupid. They talk about you and talk down to you.  They try to change things that experience has proved will not work.  

They cause all all kinds of problems, then they just quit and move on.

My DH had this in his workplace too.  I think it is pretty common everywhere.

[chrystaltree]

I think every job is stressful in it's own way.  Yes, my job is stressful because there is little room for error,  it's high volume and the money that comes into my company depends on how well I do my job.  I should say "we" because I am part of team.  I actually did this job when I was managing a department of 40.  I had two stressful jobs and the added stress of being in the office.  Yes, there's the office politics but there is also the constant flow of questions from other people. "how do I do this?"  "where can I find that"  "what should I say"   "how would you hand this"  and on and on and on.   Now I do one job and I work remotely from my home office.  The stress I have now is significant but it's job related and I have control of it.  I take walks to relieve my stress,  I listen to music while I work and that helps me a lot.   I can take 30 minutes of down time and just relax with a cup of coffee and watch a shopping channel when I want to.  In the office, I barely had time to breathe from 8am to 6pm when I left.  Oh, yeah.  Working just 8 hours a day really helps with stress.  

[AuntG]

Mine was customer and deadline oriented for 37 years. My former coworkers tell me it is now unbearable. So many of the older ones plan to get out in a year or two. The younger ones, quit right and left.

[Imaoldhippie]

As a single mom years ago, I took any job offered and was always on the hunt for a better paying one.  I had jobs where the drama and stress in the office was so bad that I would be a nerveous wreck and not fun to be around at home.  I had other jobs where I was not accepted and was considered an outsider.  I am now retired and as I have looked back on my life I wish I had not put up with those awful jobs and got one that I liked and was happy at even if it did pay less.  That along with my personal stressful life has caused me some health consequences now in later life.  High blood pressure, acute myositis and headaches. 

My recommendation is get the heck out as soon as possible, its not worth it.  Trust me on this.