Do you remember this morning’s commute into work? I suspect that if I was sitting beside you at the time, I would have noticed a shift in your personality along the way.
That shift happens to most people as they get closer to the office.
You may have started out jovial, chatting happily about a funny thing one of the kid’s said. Or maybe you woke up with the cat sitting on your head, purring and waiting to be fed. Then, as the time passed, you’d probably become a little quieter or the tone of your voice would change. You’d begin to talk about work – what was and was not working. Your focus would be moving from the light and expansive to some place a little more specific.
Many people experience a sense of being physically squeezed, as if into a funnel, as they travel nearer to work. And as soon as the day is done, that squeeze releases, as the necktie is loosened or the shoulders relax as we walk out the front doors.
It’s because we often feel we need to be 2 different people between home and work. Certain things we might say or do around friends and family just cannot be done at the office. So we begin to stuff ourselves into a work-related mode, leaving behind our more authentic responses, opinions and actions so that we comply with the environment that pays the bills and contributes to our lifestyle.
Yes, there IS a cultural difference between home and work, but the tighter that squeeze feels, the higher your levels of stress for other aspects of work will be. Nowhere is it written that you must play the Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde game for the benefit of your employer!
Action – Do whatever is necessary in attitude and action to remain your true self, no matter what environment you are in at the time.
