Last week, I listened to two similar work problems from two of my good friends. They are both hard-working and easy-going people. Their stories were repeating issues with the same difficult people that they had issues with before. They were sad, and I was helpless. All week, I could not help myself and thought about their problems. I was having a hard time understanding what kind of adults create conflicts on purpose, treat others unfairly, and act like nothing is wrong with their manners. I guess these people are often suffering and unhappy themselves. I hope they can get help. The question is, “How can we protect our mental health while working with these difficult people in a negative environment?”
Since one of the biggest contributors to our mental health issues are work environment, let’s review how many hours do we really spend working each day? We may think we work eight to ten hours when we consider the actual time we spend at work. What about the conflicts and work issues we carry in our minds where ever we go? We are human and we can’t shut off our brains as we do to our work computer. So, when we have a bad day at work, we keep thinking about the issues and replay the conversations in our minds. This situation always impacts our personal life.
The best thing that we can do is stop playing the victim and take responsibility for our happiness at work and at home. We may think that we’re not creating the issues at work, so how can we fix them? First, we must admit that problems and people will not disappear overnight. However, we can focus on good things about our work and life. Moreover, difficult people are probably difficult with most other people, so the best thing we can do is not take it personally.
On the other hand, we should make sure that we are not contributing to the problems by any means. We all should be aware of office politics, but we do not have to be part of it. Our goal should be creating a healthy work environment for ourselves. However, if it is not possible, looking for other options is a choice as well. We all deserve to be treated fairly and respectfully.
We can also improve our well-being by practicing meditation, gratitude, kindness, connection and healthy habits that can help our overall life.
The impact of my conversations led me to read one of my favorite books,’ The four agreement’ by Don Miguel Ruiz again. It is a beautiful book that can rebuild your self-confidence and gives you a direction for your work-related issues. Here is the summary of the four agreements, and for more details, I highly recommend reading it.
- Be impeccable with your word.
- Don’t take anything personally.
- Don’t make assumptions.
- Always do your best.
Don’t you want to stop the time sometimes? I certainly do. In a few weeks, we will welcome 2020, but I feel like I am not ready yet. I haven’t achieved most of my 2019 goals, and another year is just around the corner already.
I’m a Project Manager with a deep passion for both professional and personal growth. Designing and building the next generation of vehicles is incredibly rewarding, but it comes with its challenges—especially for someone as emotionally invested as I am!