How to Keep your Sanity on the Job

We have 24 hours in a day. We spent 8-10 hours to work, 5-8 hours to sleep, the remaining hours we use to do our personal and household chores. Meaning, we spent much of our time working so it’s important to keep a mental balance from doing all these things.

These are some advices on how to keep your sanity on the job. These are based on my personal observations and other’s experience as well.

Don’t divulge your personal matters to your officemates.

Issues and conflicts on your family and relationship/s should be kept at home. If you need to push it off your chest, find a trusted friend to whom you can confide to, just not to your officemates. Some colleagues put a pretty face in front of you but when you’re gone, they are saying things behind your back. If your officemates are asking you personal questions and you don’t want to answer, the best you can do is ask them in return, “Why do you want to know?” You don’t want too much popularity, do you? Don’t give pseudo a chance.

On the other hand, don’t be involved in nasty rumors or gossips.

When you’re hearing things, just let them pass your ears. If your officemates asked for your opinion/comment, stay neutral or take the positive side. Some people find happiness designing intrigues so don’t let it be under your own expense.

Ignore the whiner, braggadocios and the passive ones.

Let them be if they want themselves that way but don’t let them irritate you. More importantly, don’t rely on them either. If you can do the job yourself, just do it. Nothing beats the feeling of self-reliance and fulfillment.

If you’re in a front-liner job, be cautious of clients/customers with personal hang ups.

These clients tend to be overly sensitive to every word you’ll say or every move you’ll make. Any misinterpretation would bring you to the manager’s desk. Be very careful if you don’t want to waste your time defending yourself from the complaint.

Be nice to your colleagues but don’t be too accommodating.

Granting your colleague’s request or doing them a favor occasionally is fine. But some colleagues tend to go overboard asking you of something as if you are his/her PA. For one, you are being paid to do your own work but not including theirs. Don’t act like you are a subordinate if you’re not their subordinate. Have some self-respect and preservation.

Don’t allow yourself to be harassed, either physically or emotionally.

Keep proper physical distance from male colleagues & clients as any allowed malicious aggression might be interpreted as affirmation on your side. Of course, dress professionally too, don’t give them the motive.

Also, try to be as emotionally intelligent as possible. Don’t show any emotional weakness that a colleague may use to stir you up.

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Remember that personal and professional attitudes are two different things. You may like your colleague personally but professionally he/she might not be likeable as he/she seems and vice versa. So better establish a good professional relationship with your colleagues and keep your personal affiliations/affections to your family and trusted friends.