Hidden pressures

Apparently, some people react to stress by exploding with emotions, while others hold everything deep inside and end up troubled internally. I mention this because I made the mistake of telling another manager that I’ve been feeling rundown physically and been questioning my own decisions, and she leapt on the opportunity to drown me in amateur psychology. ‘Wellbeing’ is the watchword of the moment, of course, and our company is no different to any others in clambering aboard this bandwagon and striving to grab its reins, so said manager has recently been on a course. It was called “Noticing the Signs of Potential Impending Breakdowns” or something equally nonsensical, and she was effervescent with excitement at being able to put some of it into practice. My pains of last week sound like a ‘stress-induced compound headache’ she says, and I should ‘reduce my daily stress factors’ and ‘schedule myself some daily respite for meditation and reflection.’ I sat quietly, half-listening while poking my uneaten pastry around my plate, and then thanked her for insight and concern. I was going to ask her how Those Above would react if I put aside the staffing, ordering, reporting, maintenance and planning that I have to do for four separate garages so I could sit in the corner with my eyes closed, but I suspected she wouldn’t have an answer. So I let her have the satisfaction of thinking she’d changed my life, and took myself back to my office.

I genuinely appreciate her interest, but I don’t need the handed-down wisdom of an unenlightened consultant hired by an ultimately uncaring company. I already have my own plan in place for ‘daily respite from stress.’

It’s called “Playing Plague Inc. in my lunch break”

RC 26-3-19