No matter where you work, there will likely be that one person that does everything to get on your nerves. If not, there are still other circumstances that can get you stressed due to specific actions of your co-workers. Being stressed out makes you less productive, which in turn affect your performance and image at work.

There are a few ways to deal with these situations. You could either avoid or confront  said co-workers, although, if not well handled, this could end up being inefficient or even volatile. 

To avoid even more stress, thinking about how to handle such complex situations, you should check out the few important tips outlined below.

Try discussing the problem

If you’re already fed up with the difficult attitude of a co-worker, try discussing this with said colleague instead of being irrational. The situation could just be a simple case of misunderstanding. Which is why it is always better to first help the perpetrator understand how they’re making you feel. Approaching this discussion in a friendly manner is also very important. Keep in mind that, words can have a huge impact on others depending on the way they’re delivered. 

If handled the right way, this is the simplest and safest way of de-escalating a potentially volatile situation. 

Discover what pissed you off and avoid it

Sometimes our opinion of what pisses us off might not be shared by others around us. Every employee in your workplace will have unique attributes that make them up, some of which might not be appreciated by others around them. While it is human nature to want to reduce or even eliminate states of discomfort, we can’t always control what others will do, sometimes, even they can’t. We are who we are because of what makes us up and the same is the case with that frustrating co-worker. 

The best solution in this case would be to truly understand what stresses you and find a way to avoid crossing paths with it.

Talk to a Friend

There’s nothing better than having that one friend with whom you can share all your problems and frustrations, even if it’s regarding the actions and attitudes of a co-worker. As it is often well said, a problem shared is a problem half-solved. Although this is important advice, especially from a psychological perspective, it is also very important that you share such information only with people who you can trust.

Telling other people all the things that bother you at work is a good thing because it can help you release all the stress and resentment you’re feeling. Having someone to talk to when you’re already stressed out is much better than being alone because you might end up having more problems which can affect your performance at work.

Reach Out to HR

There are a lot of things that can push a person to his/her limit, and one of these things is stress. If you’re experiencing too much stress at work because of your co-workers, the best thing you can do is to talk to the higher management about the situation.

Most companies have their Human Resource department and they’re in place for situations such as this. You should never be afraid of reporting such work related stressors, however, it is important to be truthful as there could be consequences otherwise.

In conclusion

Stress is one of the things you can’t avoid especially if you’re working in a big company. You need to know how to be patient and calm when dealing with problems like these. Above are a few methods you can employ in a bid to avoid stressful situations at work.

Author(s)

  • Marie Miguel has been a contributor and a writing and research expert for nearly a decade covering a variety of health-related topics. Some of her write-ups can be found on BetterHelp.com/advice, where she addresses stigmas associated with mental health. You can also find some of her articles on Yahoo.com, TheMighty, The Good Men Project, and many more sites.