What to do about a bad day at work

[editor]

I just had (another) bad day at work. One of those days when you get so mad and frustrated you just want to scream or jam a pencil into someone's neck.

On days like these, I try to go for a long walk to cool off. Tonight it didn't work as well as it usually does. So I'm asking what you do to cool down and relax after a crappy day.

[nmainguy]

I just had (another) bad day at work. One of those days when you get so mad and frustrated you just want to scream or jam a pencil into someone's neck.

On days like these, I try to go for a long walk to cool off. Tonight it didn't work as well as it usually does. So I'm asking what you do to cool down and relax after a crappy day.

I am happily retired but that doesn't mean I don't have the occasional crappy day-I think everyone does.

Here's what I do:

I hit my garden if it's not too hot or cold.

I jump on my bike and peddle until I'm breathless.

I lay in the grass with my cat and taunt her mercilessly.

I hit the museum.

I cook a nice meal for us-or just me.

I reflect on how lucky I am.

...then sometimes I really just go on a hunt for a pencil and a neck...lucky for me there are no pencils to be found and the only available neck is mine.

Count your blessings, editor and remember your life isn't entirely at the office-revel in those that just love you back.

[nmainguy=occasional sap]

[bachanon]

rosemount shiraz/merlot/cabernet 2000/2002 or big house red (i don't know any more than that).

i worked as a dispatcher to supplement my income while changing careers. i came home angry every night. it could take two hours to wind down (without help that is). i found that a brisk walk reduces physical and emotional stress. it takes me at least a 30 minute walk to begin to feel relief. a hug from loved ones, caring for another, physical activity all help. last but not least.......wine or beer.

if the walk doesn't cool you off, call someone who needs encouragement. when you begin to be concerned with helping someone else through a rough spot, it takes your mind off your immediate stressful issues.

the last thing you should do is complain. this makes it more difficult to recover.

Edited April 29, 2006 by bachanon

[TJones]

AAAHhhhh crappy days ! You know in my line of work I take rejection 2 to 3 times a day. I feel sometimes that I must be crazy to keep doing what I do, but I love my job. When it is good, it is GOOOOOD , but when it is bad, Lord help me !

I can only recommend NOT taking it out on family or loved ones, it is not their fault you had a crappy day at work. This is just in general, not specifically aimed at you Editor, this is just something for everyone to remember. After I realize that I am having a crappy day, I try to remember what I should be thankful of. I have my health, I have a job, a roof over my head, I am not starving in Somalia, I just go down the list of reasons, and then think that if I am here tomorrow, that it will probably be a better day. I then go to the closest ATM, take out as much cash as possible and go to the local NUDIE BAR, and hope it's nickle beer night and 2 for 1 dances ! HELL YEAH ! I'm feeling better already.

Edited April 29, 2006 by TJones

[nmainguy]

Let's review:

bach is a lovable lush and TJ is more like me than he may care to admit minus the ATM/NUDIE BAR thing he has going on.

Love your life, your family and yourself...as TJ suggested, you really could be condemened to Somalia.

Edited April 29, 2006 by nmainguy

[TJones]

Let's review:

bach is a lovable lush and TJ is more like me than he may care to admit minus the ATM/NUDIE BAR thing he has going on.

Love your life, your family and yourself...as TJ suggested, you really could be condemened to Somalia.

Ok nmain, here's the deal. The next HAIF mixer, you, me have to go, and we drag editor out also, so he can see what he has done here with this website, and then maybe he won't have sooooo many crappy days. I just don't know how we are gonna get editor down here from Chicago, you know that's where he really office's out of .

[Houston1stWordOnTheMoon]

Like a true former squid, drink myself drunk then drink myself sober again :):):)

[nmainguy]

Ok nmain, here's the deal. The next HAIF mixer, you, me have to go, and we drag editor out also, so he can see what he has done here with this website, and then maybe he won't have sooooo many crappy days. I just don't know how we are gonna get editor down here from Chicago, you know that's where he really office's out of .

It's a date, big boy

[dbigtex56]

I then go to the closest ATM, take out as much cash as possible and go to the local NUDIE BAR, and hope it's nickle beer night and 2 for 1 dances !

aha! It's Hugh HAIFner!

Do the strippers giggle when you drop coins in their g-strings?

[cabanaboy]

I drink coors light. It helps.

[native_Houstonian]

I drink coors light. It helps.

Wait, I would like to edit this just a bit. You drink copious amounts of Coors Light.

[TJones]

aha! It's Hugh HAIFner!

Do the strippers giggle when you drop coins in their g-strings?

Yep, then they promptly escort me to the door when I run out.

No nmain, it is NOT a date, we are going to a dysfunctional function together. Besides, I heard you don't give it up on the first date anyways, so, I'll let you go home with editor that night, then I'll pick you up the next night , when you are ready.

I drink coors light. It helps.

You know what Coors Light and having sex on the beach have in common ?

They are both F*n near water !

[editor]

Thanks for making me smile. Thanks for the advice. Ideally, I would just come home and allow my wife to hug me until it's all better. But it's not an option, since she's asleep. I don't get home until midnight, so most gardening and other activities are out. I walk about two miles when it's bad. Usually it helps. Last night it didn't. I think it's a midlife crisis starting to brew. Maybe I should buy a 'Vette and pretend that will make everything better.

[TJones]

Yep, the ol' "penis car" is always a good instant gratification, how about a nice 350z though ?

[bachanon]

Thanks for making me smile. Thanks for the advice. Ideally, I would just come home and allow my wife to hug me until it's all better. But it's not an option, since she's asleep. I don't get home until midnight, so most gardening and other activities are out. I walk about two miles when it's bad. Usually it helps. Last night it didn't. I think it's a midlife crisis starting to brew. Maybe I should buy a 'Vette and pretend that will make everything better.

maybe it's time to write a book or an article editor. leach that crap out of you. if worse comes to worse, unload on haif. it worked for me. the opinions and affirmation i received from haif helped to put things into perspective. empty some pens.

[ssullivan]

I used to work for two of the worst managers in the world, who happened to be married to each other. A really day in that office was what most of my friends would think was a horrible day at their jobs. Seriously, every day we were subjected to all kinds of emotional abuse, especially on her part, people yelling at each other, marital spats that were not left at home like they should have been, policies and procedures that changed with her mood swings (which we very frequent... she had some real hormonal issues going on), and a work load that really needed about three times as many employees as we had to accomplish it. And on top of this, almost nobody made more than $30,000, while the two owners each took home healthy salaries well into the 6 digits. So I had a lot of really bad work days.

Now back to how to handle them. I became a big fan of rewarding myself on Friday nights with a really good dinner at home, bottle of wine, and big hunk of cake from the Dessert Gallery. Of course this wasn't very healthy, and resulted in a lot of unwanted weight. Exercise also helped a lot. The more frustrating the day, the longer I could spend on the treadmill in the evenings.

When things got really unbearable during the work day, a coworker and I would make an excuse that we needed a file out of our storage room, which was located a mile away in one of those self-storage places. We always kept a few empty file folders in one of our cars. Instead of going to the storage room, we'd drive down to get a coffee at Starbucks, or ice cream at Marble Slab or Amy's, and take about an hour to do it. Then we'd return with an arm full of folders, which were the empty ones out of the car, and make a comment about how disorganized the storage room was, which was true. Then that evening we'd stick the same empty folders in one of our bags and take them back out to the car, ready for our next weekly escape from the office. Fortunately the owners of the company were so out of touch with reality most of the time that they never figured out the scam. And every once in a while we really did need to go pull a file from storage, or take files back over there. On those trips we made it in and out of the storage place as fast as possible, and then made our ice cream/coffee stop afterwards. We did this at least once a week for nearly two years until I was laid off.

Even when I was dealing with that really toxic work environment, I always tried to remind myself that I was fortunate to at least have a job. I never went hungry during those years, even though I had a lot of macaroni and cheese and ramen noodle nights at the end of the month when the bank account was empty. I always had a nice place to live, and a car to drive, although when it died a couple of times I was stuck on Metro for a week or two until I could scrape together the cash to fix it. Now that I'm in a much better work environment, I still look back and remember where I've been, and I never take what I have now for granted. I also know that the great job I have now would not have been possible had I not gained the experience I did at my previous job. I actually sat down after I accepted the position I have now and wrote and lengthy e-mail to the couple that I used to work for, telling them where I was going and thanking them for the knowledge and experience I gained at their company. I didn't mention any of the bad stuff, and only focused on the good. It was something I felt like I had to do to finally let go of all the emotional garbage and hurt feelings I had over that experience. I knew it was time to let go, forgive, and move on, and it helped tremendously.

So this is a really long reply. But hang in there, always remember that wine, good food, exercise, and finding a good excuse to sneak away for a little bit during the day can all help. Maybe even TJones's suggestion of the nudie bar works (I haven't tried that one... wonder why? ). And remember it's just a job, it's not forever, and it could be worse. You could be a bum on the street with no job, no wife, no home, no food, and no HAIF to come vent on.

[dbigtex56]

I used to work for two of the worst managers in the world, who happened to be married to each other.

Reminds me of that New Yorker cartoon - a marriage counselor says to a feuding couple: "You're both unbearable, but I suppose that's beside the point."

[DJ V Lawrence]

On a bad day, I watch Office Space, then beat up the copy machine the next day. It's been replaced 12 times now

[Jeebus]

I like to "F" the dog and kick the wife. No - wait, reverse that!

Seriously, Either a glass of Beringer Merlot (great tannin's) or a Dos Equis in a stolen, frozen, Pappasito's pint glass.

[bachanon]

jeebus..........i like u!