I worry that since I’ve been working from home for a while, I will never be able to go back to working 9-5 in an office. I don’t want to go back to an office, but I fear I might have to—for the same reason many Americans who want to pursue self employment do—health insurance.
Headphones are the New Wall: Everyone Hates Open Office Plans
May 24, 2014 by 7 Comments
My first taste of an open office plan took me by surprise.
Several years ago, I was on the first day of a new job, and was led into an office meant for one person. In that office were three desks, one each for me and my two officemates. [Read more…]
A Rant Against Job Interviews (Plus, 3 interview tips anyway)
April 28, 2014 by 6 Comments
I think it’s fair to say that most people dislike job interviews.
And for HSPs, they are extra super not-fun.
My rant: Unless you are interviewing for a job where interviewing will be your function, then being judged by your performance in an interview is kind of dumb. If I’m a writer, who cares if I perform well in an interview? All that matters is that my work is good and that I can function well in the workplace. [Read more…]
All the Battles I Fought When I Worked in a Cubicle
February 23, 2014 by 12 Comments
Bright lights. Constant chatter. Disruptions. Deadlines. Pressure. An uncomfortable chair. A desk that is too high. Awkward social situations. Odors. Lack of privacy, quiet, and control.
That’s office life.
As an HSP, I’m highly tuned in to my environment and lots of little things become big things since I can’t stop obsessing over them. Here’s a list of some of the issues that made me swear off working in an office.
My Battle With Uncomfortable Chairs
The Importance of Caring Less at Your Office Job
November 22, 2013 by 24 Comments
An updated version of this post is published at QuietRev.com.
Years ago, when I moved from my small hometown in Michigan to New York, I took administrative temp work to get my “foot in the door” and get a full-time job.
One of my temp assignments left me especially miserable. The person managing me would hurl insults at another employee. The job-stuffing envelopes-was brain-meltingly boring. And of course, as an HSP, all this affected me greatly.
I got home and (surprise!) complained about it to my husband.
I remember that he said, matter-of-factly, “Call your temp agency and quit the assignment. It’s not worth you being miserable.”
My first reaction was, “I can’t do that!” I committed to the assignment. They were counting on me! I don’t quit things.
Then he asked me: What’s more important? My mental health or finishing a temp job for some company that couldn’t care less about me?
He was right. There was no reason for me to care so much about this job. So what if my quitting inconveniences the company or the temp agency? Who cares?
When I was a kid, my dad used to jokingly say, “You gotta look out for Number One”.
“Number One” is yourself. Ultimately, your workplace doesn’t really care about you. You are replaceable. You have to look out for your HSP-self first and stop worrying about everyone and everything else.
A few months ago, a friend was struggling at work. She was overwhelmed by too many responsibilities and was ready to quit. I posed the question to her: “What would happen if you didn’t get all your work done on time? What if you couldn’t finish all the tasks?” And her response was something like, “I guess it wouldn’t be the end of the world…” But I could tell that she wouldn’t even consider letting some things slip through the cracks. She was a hard worker who cared about her performance.
She was either going to do a great job, or no job at all.
I told her, “You are ready to quit your job. What will it hurt to try caring less first? If you can care less, then you won’t feel so stressed about not getting everything done. Just do the best you can. That’s all you can do.”
Look. I know you care deeply about details, my HSP friend, but please remember that worrying and stressing about your job isn’t productive. You probably care more about your job than many people do; you are loyal, committed, and hard-working. But when you stress because you feel like you aren’t doing good work, or that you are behind on a project, ask yourself, “Who cares?” Hopefully this will help you put it all into perspective and take a little stress off your shoulders.
