Do you have days when you are more ‘prickly’ than others or you feel that you ‘woke up on the wrong side of the bed’?
Sometimes we have these types of days when everything just seems to go wrong…we couldn’t find our keys, we had a battle with our teenager, we got stuck in traffic or we are getting a cold. Other times, our bad mood just seems to engulf us and we have no idea why.
Today is the day to celebrate the crankiness in all of us…or just realize that we all have these stressful and cranky days and we can help each other through them.
- Certainly don’t be nice or helpful
- Don’t say thank you
- Don’t hold the door open for anyone
- Walk past your co-workers while looking the other way
- Leave the company kitchen in a mess
- Slam your office door
- Don’t say goodbye when you hang up the phone
- Don’t answer your phone
- Growl at anyone who seems perky
- Say “It can’t be done” to any suggestion that is made
- Sigh loudly
- Kick the photocopier
- Complain about the rain, snow, wind, sunshine, heat, blue sky….
- Go to your meeting late and leave early
- Wear really tight underwear or at least the kind that seem to want to climb higher and higher…that always seems to increase my crankiness
Beverly’s Hot Tips For Building Resilience on Cranky Co-Worker Day:
- Smile and ignore the crankiness in someone else if you feel it is just temporary behaviour
- Address the behaviour if it is inappropriate and impacting others
- Ask how you can help. Maybe the person is stressed and has a lot on their plate and just doesn’t know what to do or who to turn to.
- Try a simple act of kindness.
- Don’t personalize their crankiness. It is about them and not about you.
- Give attention and recognition for the positive things that they have done and not the cranky behaviours that you see.
- Try whistling while you work…it worked for the 7 dwarves!
If you have some strategies to share – comment on this posting!
Additional Resources:
Workplace Wellness: Office States Of Mind
