comfort

What to Say to a Coworker Who’s Upset

By in Communication Tags: , , ,

Comforting_Coworker

It’s sometimes really hard to know what to say to a coworker who is obviously upset about something. You want to help that person to feel better, but you might also be afraid of saying the wrong thing.

Author Deborah Grayson Riegel recommends that you avoid telling the person how they should be feeling. For instance, it may not be helpful to tell your coworker to “stop worrying” or “cheer up” (or, worst of all, “get over it”). 

Also, it’s generally not a good idea to offer advice unless your coworker specifically asks for it. Most people don’t want to be told what to do.

It’s much more effective to simply ask your coworker to tell you how they’re feeling, and then to really listen to what they have to say. Here are a few examples:

  • “You seem upset. Tell me what’s bothering you.”
  • “I can tell that you’re concerned about the situation. What’s worrying you most?”
  • “I know you’re still feeling angry/sad about what happened. What do you think would help you to start feeling better?”

Listen while they talk about their problems and feelings. Be sympathetic. Tell them that they are strong and resilient. And tell them that you’ll be there to support them when they need it.

If they get annoyed, don’t get offended. Just tell them that you’re sorry that they’re having a hard time, and remind them that you’re there for them. Then end the conversation. They’ll know that they have your support, and that’s a powerful thing.

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Riegel, D. G. (2019, April 1). How to talk with a coworker who’s having a rough time. Harvard Business Review. Retrieved from: https://hbr.org/2019/04/how-to-talk-with-a-coworker-whos-having-a-tough-time

How to Make Your Home Office More Comfortable

By in Living Well Tags: , , ,

Nice_Home_Office

A lot of us are working from home right now. And a lot of us don’t have a fancy home office. If you’re lucky, you have a proper desk and a door to close that allows you some privacy. But if you’re not so lucky, you’re working at a kitchen counter, on your couch, in your bed, or on a card table in the spare bedroom.

I actually work from my kitchen table. Every morning, I set up my laptop and spread out my files. And every evening, I put everything away so that I can actually eat at the kitchen table. It’s not ideal and it’s not private. But for now, it’s OK.

You might be working under similar conditions. And you’re probably getting by. But according to a recent article by John Herrman, there’s a lot that we can do to make our work space more comfortable. It just takes a few boxes, a couple tall plants, and a little bit of ingenuity!

Maintain Good Posture
Ideally, as you sit in front of your computer, your hands should be resting on the keyboard, your forearms should be parallel to the ground, and your elbows should be bent at a right angle. Your back should be well supported and mostly straight. (It’s OK to be slightly reclined at about a 15 degree angle.) Your feet should be resting on the ground and your knees should be bent at a right angle.

To achieve this position, use boxes, pillows, books, or whatever you have lying around the house. Right now, I’m sitting on a big pillow with another pillow behind my back. It raises me up just enough and gives me that back support. (It also makes my hard, wooden, kitchen chair a lot more comfortable!)

Adjust Your Monitor
If your computer monitor is too low, you’ll have to hunch forward to see the screen, causing your back to ache. Ideally, as you gaze straight ahead, the top of your monitor should be about four inches above your eye line. To achieve this, the author suggests that you put your laptop on a stack of books, and connect a keyboard to it, which should sit on your desktop. (I’m not going to lie – this wouldn’t work for me because I don’t have a spare keyboard lying around. But if you do, you might want to give it a try!)

Create Some Boundaries
There are often a lot of distractions when you’re working from home – especially if you live in a home with other people and pets. This can sometimes be stressful and frustrating. So anything that you can do to separate your workspace from the rest of your busy household would be beneficial. Try using a bookshelf or tall plants to create a delineated workspace in a larger room. Or you may even want to consider working in a large walk-in closet, if you have one. As long as you take regular breaks to look out the window and get some natural light, it could be a good solution!

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Herrman, J. (2020, April 15). The buy-nothing home office. The New York Times. Retrieved from: https://www.nytimes.com/2020/04/15/style/working-from-home-setup.html

How to Avoid Feeling Sad or Lonely When Working From Home

By in Living Well Tags: , ,

Working_From_Home_With_Cat

There are lots of good things about working from home. For instance, you can wear your pajamas all day, if you want. Yes!

But there are also challenges associated with working from home. It can make some people feel isolated, sad, or lonely. I know that I really enjoy being around other people. So for me, this is a real concern.

So I did a little research on how to make working from home a more enjoyable experience. I didn’t focus on how to be productive at home. I think we already know what that entails. (Basically, you should set regular working hours and stick to them. Make yourself a “to do” list every morning and then make sure to get those things done. And try to avoid distractions.) I was more interested in determining what would make working from home more enjoyable and less lonely. Here’s what I found:

  • Take a walk – If possible, go outside at some point during the day and get some fresh air. Maybe you’d like to sit on your front porch and sip a cup of tea. Or take a walk around your neighborhood. Getting outside will help to alleviate your feelings of isolation and reduce your stress.
  • Get some exercise – Before you start working, after you’re done for the day, or during a work break, try to get some exercise. You could clean up the house, walk up and down your stairs, or do an exercise video. Exercise is a great stress reliever. It will help you to feel more calm and relaxed.
  • Chat with your coworkers online – Of course it’s important to talk to your coworkers about the projects that you’re working on together. But it’s also nice to just chat about the everyday things that are happening in your lives or to share a funny story or joke. Chatting with coworkers can help to make your day feel more fun and less lonely.
  • Make your work space nice – Put a little effort into making your work space feel comforting and homey. Make sure all of your supplies are within arm’s reach, make yourself a snack, and sip a cup of hot coffee. Do whatever feels nice and soothing.
  • Listen to music – When working from home, you don’t need to be quiet. So go ahead and play your favorite music! Or, if it’s not distracting to you, turn on your TV and let it play quietly in the background. Complete silence can sometimes be a little hard to take. Some music or television can help with that.  

Do you have any other suggestions on how to make working from home feel less lonely? Please share your ideas in the Comments section below!

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Turnbull, A. (n.d.). 14 ways our remote team stays sane working from home. Groove. Retrieved from: https://www.groovehq.com/blog/staying-sane-working-solo