This also applies to our working environment. If we don’t feel secure, or we wake up every morning dreading going to work, it takes a considerable toll on our wellbeing. Given the impact it can have this area of our life is not scrutinised enough. And so, in this blog post, we will explore some of the relationship challenges that occur at work.

Abuse

Compared to many years ago the amount of abuse in the workplace has reduced. There is far less tolerance for bosses who practice any kind of overt abuse. Instilling fear into employees is no longer seen as the most effective way of increasing productivity which was the case not so long ago. That said subtle forms of abuse do still occur. This could involve being subjected to a series of passive aggressive, grating comments from a co-worker or manager that gradually wear you down over time.

Sexual abuse also remains a massive issue. This could, once again, simply be a comment or perhaps inappropriate touching of the shoulders and women (and sometimes men) living under these circumstances experience high levels of emotional pain. They don’t feel safe, always have to be on guard and subsequently become anxious, depressed, guilty, or angry.

Neglect

A more common problem when it comes to workplace relationships is neglect. Many people enjoy friendly, harmonious work environments but a lot of the time it can feel like these people you spend 8 hours a day with are strangers. When someone feels distant it’s hard to properly open up to them. This is often the case with managers or supervisors who are higher than you in the hierarchy and usually quite busy.

And so, if you were struggling with any issue such as anxiety or something at home, it can feel impossible to speak to your colleagues about these problems. They may not care about your mental issues and, instead, only want to ensure you get your work done without stopping to look at the wider picture. This form of neglect can be especially difficult to deal with.

Isolation

Many people, in the wake of the pandemic, have had to adjust to working from home permanently or at least a few days a week. And while this has been beneficial for parents with young children, who can now spend more time with them, there are plenty of young professionals out there who are consigned to spend inordinate amounts of time in their rooms completely alone.

In this sense the lack of any workplace relationships can be a problem. Of course, companies use platforms like Zoom, Teams, or Discord to bridge this gap but it never comes close to genuine daily in-person interactions. Not having these relationships can breed a sense of loneliness which in turn augments issues like low self-esteem, depression or anxiety.

If you are having any kind of relationship problem at your workplace I offer completely confidential relationship counselling in Farnham and online. Please do get in touch with me if you have any questions at all.