Is keeping yourself to yourself at work a bad thing?

[catfeeder]

Even though you don't love it, it makes it easier to go to work when the atmosphere is right. You can make it right by improving your relationships, I don't love working 100% but the office environment makes it easier to get through the day.

 

Great point. This is the whole crux. We all get to decide whether we want to make our work lives harder or easier on ourselves and everyone else in our sphere. That's a choice we make every day, and our answer will play out whether we're conscious of that or not. So we can opt to become conscious of it, and from there we can take some pride in the one thing over which we own control--ourselves.

 

My day goes faster and my work is easier when I'm aware of my contribution as dimensional. I'm not just toiling, I'm not just doing great work, and I'm not limiting my input to a given task. I'm adding my influence to the mix, and I enjoy making things easier on the next person regardless of whether they're aware of that or can appreciate me, or not.

[Fudgie]

I do clinical work and desk work. When I do clinical, I focus on my patients, not my coworkers. I am pleasant and helpful but not really chatty or anything. I've never been involved in drama and I am seen as being on the outside but helpful and friendly. Do I miss out on a lot of gossip? Yes, but I don't care, and no one sees me negative for it.

 

When I do desk work, I play music that I like and I focus on my tasks at hand.

[Itchy]

I do clinical work and desk work. When I do clinical, I focus on my patients, not my coworkers. I am pleasant and helpful but not really chatty or anything. I've never been involved in drama and I am seen as being on the outside but helpful and friendly. Do I miss out on a lot of gossip? Yes, but I don't care, and no one sees me negative for it.

 

When I do desk work, I play music that I like and I focus on my tasks at hand.

 

And I focus on what I need to do, so what's the difference?

[Fudgie]

And I focus on what I need to do, so what's the difference?

 

Well, I have not been talked to by my boss about my demeanor and negativity, so I think there's some difference here. Oh, I work with a LOT of women too, and women can be sensitive. After I BU with one of my exes and I was very quiet and sullen, everyone noticed within the 1st hour. If I were curt and short with them, I wouldn't last long here.

 

You can focus on what you need to do while still being pleasant. Several of my coworkers spend time off talking and gossiping to each other or go with each other to get coffee. I don't do that. I'd rather just work and get things done. However, I do smile and make myself approachable. When I greet people, I ask how they are. Yes, it's a pleasantry and it doesn't really mean anything: I don't particularly care about their answer and they don't particularly care about telling me, but it's a simple things that makes you look good and approachable that is VERY minimal effort.

 

I have a good reputation at my job for being helpful and present. I'm just saying, it takes very little to do so. Even just a few smiles a day.