Is It Frustration Or Suffering? How To Recognize When Work Makes Us Sick
Updated: Dec 21, 2022
Written by: Anna Krzysztoszek, Executive Contributor
Executive Contributors at Brainz Magazine are handpicked and invited to contribute because of their knowledge and valuable insight within their area of expertise.
A Japanese author Haruki Murakami wrote in one of his books “Pain is inevitable. Suffering is optional.” The difference between frustration and suffering may not be always crystal clear as we tend to push ourselves to accept the discomfort to avoid risk in work-related situations out of fear of losing a job. Pain and frustration are inevitable as any emotion. But it depends on us whether they turn into suffering or sickness if we stop listening to the messages pain and frustration try to deliver to our consciousness. Here are some points helping to recognize if frustration is turning into something more dangerous.
1. Time-related questions and responses to the thread
While visiting a doctor some standard questions are being asked:
Since when do you feel like that?
How often do you feel like that? Every day or once a week?
Under which circumstance does this frustration or feeling appear?
Etc.
The same or similar questions help us realize how serious work-related stress is. Are you frustrated or upset every day? Is it already 6 months since you started to feel that way? The longer and more frequent a job-related frustration is present, the higher the probability it could turn into something more serious which will drain you even more in the future.
Human beings tend to have a flight, fight, or freeze response to threats. It means we escape, fight or hide from danger. Have you noticed an increase in any of these responses recently? Are you currently having more often fights at work than in the past? Do you prefer to keep silent during meetings although you utterly disagree with what is being said? If the answer to those and similar questions is positive, it is worth having a closer look if you are getting closer to a point that may be health-threatening.
2. Work environment and job profile
Check if your frustration or discomfort is linked to your employer or rather to the job profile. Many of us choose the safe path and decide on a job that has been recommended to us by our parents or friends. Try to be clear about the source of your frustration as the solutions to it may vary depending on the trigger. In case it is the job profile itself, maybe it is possible to switch the business unit within the company. If it is something related to your supervisor, maybe it is worth checking if the branch can be changed, etc.
3. Balanced inner voice
One of the reasons why we force ourselves to stay in jobs that make us sick could be a strong inner critique, claiming our impressions and feelings are not serious enough or exaggerated. Do some online research related to the transactional analysis model as a strong inner critic is usually related to the parent’s voice we know from the past. Try to find some space for your inner child and its needs as it restores an inner balance which is characteristic of the so-called adult state from the above-mentioned model. Embracing the inner child and regaining the adult state leads to a more harmonious approach to life where there is enough space for joy, and creativity while staying grounded.
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Anna Krzysztoszek, Executive Contributor Brainz Magazine
Anna Krzysztoszek has more than 20 years of international experience in business ‒ from large corporations to start-ups. She is the owner of Green Butterfly ‒ Coaching & Recruiting. The completion of her German and Dutch studies, her pedagogical education, the certificate of a Psychological Advisor and various business degrees, such as Master of Business Administration (MBA), reflect Anna's main focus and passion: combining her economical expertise with the always present interest in people and the art of making the best of our lives. This especially applies to professional matters ‒ after all, we spend a third of our life at our workplace.
