[ Post a Response | The Psychic Growth Message Board ]
Posted by Thomas F. O'Neill By Thomas F. O’Neill Most people come home from a days work feeling drained as if the energy was sucked out of every pore of their body. They may have had a bad day at work but then again when asked to describe their day they are at a loss for words. Most likely it was not a particular event at work that has them feeling drained but rather their co-workers have them feeling sapped of energy. The person sitting in the cubical next to theirs, their direct supervisory staff or the clients they deal with on a daily bases may have sucked the energy right out of their body. At times we have experienced people who energize us through their positive attitude and on the other hand there are those people who drain us of our energy through their pessimistic outlook on life. There are also those people who have the uncanny ability of putting us at ease with their tone of voice and mannerisms and we feel comfortable around those people. Studies are currently being conducted as to how these energy shifts can be consciously controlled. The ability to put people at ease is a great tool for all walks of life especially when it comes to interpersonal relationships. Dr. Judith Orloff, a board-certified psychiatrist and author of "Positive Energy," states flatly, "Energy vampires roam the world sapping our exuberance, an epidemic that medical texts don't address. Some people make us more electric or at ease. Others suck the life right out of us. If you don't get a handle on these life-force lechers, they can become the bane of your existence." We can all identify people in our workforce that have the uncanny ability to drain us of our strength, such as: The whiner -- The world is against her. She comes to work with her problems and rehashes the same story as to why she is unhappy. She brings up the same old points over and over again, and every solution you suggest is met with a reason why she can't accomplish her goal. This type of person consumes your energy like a flashlight consumes the energy out of its batteries if left on to long. The Blamer -- Less benign than the whiner, the Blamer will attack and put others down for their shortcomings. They can lay on guilt-trips and be verbally abusive. Where the whiner may consume you in negativity, the Blamer will slug you with it. The Blamer sees you as the reason they can’t get their work done and as for the Whiner they blame the world for their shortcomings. The Drama Queen – They will start each sentence with "Oh my God, you'll never guess what happened," it would appear that they live their life in extremes and they go through life describing their extreme circumstances. They have their highs and lows and they go from crisis to crisis feeding off of chaos. Whether she's breaking up with her boyfriend or complaining about her husband having his tubs tied. One day she is complaining about some medical problem that she has and the next day she is complaining about a client that she can’t stand being around. Whatever happens to this person is an extreme event in the life of this person. She will wear you out with a borage of extreme emotions. The Constant Talker – He is continuously telling you about his unending life adventures. This person is concerned with himself foremost and you less. His stories, his opinions, and his jokes take precedent over your peace of mind. He wears you down with his motor mouth whose volume desperately needs to be taken down a notch. The Go-for-the-Jugular Fiend -- This person out of his insecurities will not hesitate to cut you down to build himself up. They may be filled with envy, insecurities or they may be overly competitive but nonetheless they will insult you every chance they get. This person is the worst of all the energy drainers in the workplace and excessive exposure to this person can cause you to go out on sick leave from chronic fatigue or depression. Like a bad computer various these people should be quarantined or deleted from your operating system. However, when it comes to the workplace they cannot be removed from your life. One way in dealing with these energy sappers is by gaining a better understanding as to how these people go through their daily routine and then politely redirect their energy. It is important to be polite and never let them see you sweat. You can also gain an upper hand by limiting your exposure to them by avoiding long conversations by being resolute. If the whiner won't stop her rehashing of the same stories about her husbands inability to get her pregnant or her medical condition, redirect the conversation or politely end it. Dealing with the constant talker is extremely difficult but I have found being polite, sincere and at the same time redirecting their attention is the best approach. Tell them you have to make an important telephone call or that you have to meet with an important client. Take the time to learn how the energy sappers in your workforce think and use that knowledge to your advantage. You will find being the master of your domain is better then leaving at the end of the day completely drained of energy. Many psychologists suggest that employees learn relaxation exercises to deal with workforce stress. Many employers throughout the United States are also beginning to incorporate relaxation classes into their annual training. A reason for this is that employees who develop the ability to relax at work have fewer sick days. Fifteen to twenty minutes of relaxation in the morning and the afternoon is all that is needed to replenish ones energy and to get a fresh start at work. Many psychologists suggest developing a sense of humor as well to rise above the daily absurdities that one may face on the job. When you feel overwhelmed by the people around you retreat for a few minutes and take a few deep breaths. Deep breathing exercises are a great tool to overcome stress and to help you relax during those stressful moments. Many people in the United States are beginning to turn to the eastern mystical approach to gain and maintain positive mental health. They are visualizing and creating a psychological distance from their daily stress. This can be achieved through various methods of meditation or yoga but also by utilizing the more traditional cardiovascular exercises such as running, swimming, and aerobics. Whatever works in relieving your stress should be encouraged because many people come into our lives and the best way to deal with people is by gaining a better understanding of people. This can only be accomplished by gaining a better understanding of oneself. To achieve this goal one must take time in their hectic schedule to visit themselves and to get to know themselves better in doing so they will gain a greater understanding of the people in their workplace. Our over all goal and objective at work should be to become that person who puts everyone at ease and who everyone likes to be around due to their tone of voice and mannerisms. This can only be achieved by gaining a greater understanding of oneself and others and learning to go with the flow on the job by creating a psychological distance from stress. E-mail: introspective7@hotmail.com Other writings of O'Neill can be found at the link below under the Screen Name Introspective. Link: Other writings of O'Neill
on 2/4/2005, 5:03 pm
205.188.116.7
How to deal with low energy in the workplace.
Message Thread:
« Back to thread