Deal With Difficult People in the Workplace

Whatever you do in life, there will always be difficult people in the workplace. Learning to work alongside them, or finding ways to be civil while maintaining your distance, offers the best chance of dealing with difficult co-workers. Here are some suggestions to help you. courtesy:wikihow.com



Watch out for control freaks. Often, the best way of dealing with control freaks is to avoid them altogether if possible. However, if for any reason, you find it is not possible to do so, you need to assess your situation and your options taking into account your priorities at the time. For example, you have a colleague who is a control freak but the job is absolutely essential to you then, you may have to find other ways of dealing with him/her while you buy time looking for another job/change in your circumstances.

Always be conscious of the negative impact that a difficult co-worker can have on you. Ultimately it's your responsibility to look after yourself and not give in to his/her tactics.

Develop a supportive network both in and out of work which may help vent your frustrations.

Use humor. Defusing any uncomfortable situation with humor can be a very good defense mechanism.

Most difficult co-workers act that way because they can. They either don't care about the consequences, or there aren't any. If they are making money for the company, the boss will overlook their bad behavior.

Avoid Junk Food at Work

We all fall victim to eating junk food at work; virtually no one is immune. In my clinical practice as a nurse practitioner, my office is constantly being bombarded with cookies, cakes and candy every day of the week. I imagine yours is too. So if you want to get off the junk food merry-go-round and improve your health--I have a few suggestions that may be helpful.courtesy:ehow.com



Instructions

Manage your junk food intake or let it ruin your health. The choice is really yours! Totally avoiding eating any junk food is only for those of us with Superman-like strength and willpower. Sadly, if we totally abstain we may end up overeating and consuming way more junk food then we would have had in the first place. So at the beginning of the day, allocate a predetermined amount of junk food you will allow yourself. (Some days you may not feel like having any and cheer yourself on!).

Do not make a big deal or announce your plan to avoid/limit junk food. You will be setting yourself up for peer pressure, office jokes and endless monitoring by your coworkers of what you eat. You are doing this for YOU.

Look at your body in the mirror totally naked (I know this is hard for some of us, but is really essential). First list what you LIKE about your body and then what you feel needs improvement. Don't be shy--this list is for your eyes only. Write down the truth.

There are plenty of articles on nutrition, building muscle and working out. Read them if you need to refresh your knowledge base. Determine what your goals and nutrition needs are and fit in a "junk food allowance." Remember, just because you give yourself permission to have some junk food, there are simply going to be days you will not want or crave any. Rejoice privately!

Keep a stash of healthy snacks in your office. Before you go get that cup of coffee or take a bathroom break, eat some raisins or other healthy snacks before finding the junk food glaring up at you.

Write down your junk food intake each day and the reason why you felt compelled to eat it. Sometimes it is as simple as the person who brought the cake is an excellent baker and you knew it would be wonderful! Other times, and most often, it will be stress, boredom or peer pressure. Now you have to figure out how to handle these differently.

Most importantly, don't beat yourself up if you had a bad day and ate a lot more junk food then you anticipated. It is "progress, not perfection" that should be your goal.

Stay Away from Germs at the Office

Germs, viruses and bacteria live in all kinds of places in the office. They are so small, that you can't see them with the naked eye, but their effects can be felt for days or even weeks if you get really sick. There are precautions you can take to keep yourself healthy so that you can try to stay away from germs and viruses. Read on to see how you can further protect your health from germs at work.
courtesy:Ariana Cherry-Shearer, eHow.com



Few steps you can follow:

> Keep a bottle of hand sanitizer at your desk at all times. Use it on your hands when you come in contact with a sick person. Offer some your sanitizer to someone if they happen to sneeze or if they appear to be sick with a cold. This can possibly keep them from spreading germs elsewhere in your office area.

> Purchase a container of antibacterial wipes to keep at your desk. Clean your desk down at the end of every work day to clean away any germs or viruses that could have spread on your desk throughout the day. Also wipe your phone off after each use or if somebody else uses your phone.

> Off clients or customers another pen/pencil besides your own. Keep a separate jar of pens and pencils for clients to use. Store your personal writing utensils in your desk.

> Wash your hands with warm water and soap every time after using the restroom. Wash your hands for about the length of time it take to sing "Happy Birthday" at least three times.

> Cough and sneeze into your arm or sleeve. Coughing and sneezing on your hands will spread germs further throughout your body and onto other objects that you may touch. Wash your hands immediately or put hand sanitizer on them.

> Stay home if you are ill. If you are running a fever, see your doctor. Encourage other employees to stay home when they are ill or to at least see a doctor to be treated. Sometimes the doctor can offer antibiotics to help someone who is sick.