Working It Out

Stagnant work life

I am a 33 year old freelance designer. I completed my last assignment about 3 months back and haven’t had any work since then.The market is very down and that is affecting me very badly as I have never gone this long without work. I have spoken to all my sources and asked them for work but there is nothing anyone can give me right now. Not having work has taken its toll on me and I have become quite restless and bored. I am unable to sleep properly as I don’t feel tired due to not doing anything the entire day. Please guide me as I don’t know how to cope with this unforeseen situation.

■ Ans: You need to change the way you see things, change your perception. It is a situation where you do not have any work but you can see it positively as a situation where you are getting a break instead. Use this time to enhance yourself, your mind and health. You can probably take this time to develop some passion in life that gives you selfless happiness. Watching a pot boil, doesn’t mean it is going to boil faster. You your play your role, try hard to seek new jobs or projects and try your best in the way you can to get your sources of income that is priority, however the world doesn’t end there you can carry on easy with life. Reconnect with your friends and family which you wouldn’t have time for. There are other areas of life that requires your time and attention too, divert your mind to them instead of feeling miserable every time that you think about ‘how stagnant your work life’. There will be a change to this phase too, until then have patient and stay occupied with life.

Coping with post-traumatic stress

I am a mechanical engineer. I suffered from an accident recently at work. I have just made recovery and the doctor has finally allowed me to start work. I work very closely with the labourers at the factory and handle a lot of machinery. Due to my accident, I fear that I won’t be as efficient as I used to be as my hands still shake and aren’t steady. I am also a lot slower in my movements than I used to be.The medicines tend to make me feel drowsy at times and I fear that the accident will take place again. I am almost afraid to go to work. Please help me with my situation.

■ Ans: It is a reward that you are getting back to your work; it is a great achievement in all, your recovery and the ability to resume back too. From what it seems like you are suffering from post-traumatic stress that is causing the fear. When your accident occurred, you did not anticipate it and you took care of everything that would prevent it, though it happened. If it is going to occur again it is not in your control, it will happen without your consent and all you can again do is to prevent it. Worry that an accident will occur again is not going to help you, rather you can go back and think of why it did happen and think of ways to prevent it next time. If the fear of the accident to occur is beyond your control, ask your hr department if you could work in some other sector till you get your confidence back, and you will eventually cope with you efficiency as in the accident you haven’t lost your ability, only your confidence has shaken up which you will regain from experience again. Give some time you will do well, if need be you can speak to professional industrial psychologist, which will help you overcome your fears and deal with your posttraumatic stress.

Need something challenging

I am the manager of a team from my company who are based oversees. They report to me and we work quite efficiently despite the distance.The job is good and does not stress me out too much and the pay is also very good. Since I can work from home, I get quite bored. The team does most of the work and are very good at their work so I don’t have much work left to do. A lot of times, I find myself sitting ideal. I am not getting the satisfaction that I should get from this job. I am too afraid to leave this job as I am not sure I will find a job that pays this well, and I have got used this relaxed pattern of work. Please help me as I don’t know what I should do.

■ Ans: You want your steps on both the islands that are not rationally possible, you need to choose one and be happy with that. You also want a good relaxing job as well as you want the essences of office job’s social relationships attached with it, and if that is not possible in your current job then you are left with two option, either if your are unhappy with the social aspect of the job then quit and take a chance that you may get a similar paying job or then stay with this job and enjoy the perks of working from home. Whatever your decision you will let go of something, so you will have to think what is more crucial for you a relaxed well paid job or social contact, and after choosing whatever the consequences of your choice will be, you need to face them. Your decision can be made based on what are you ready to deal with as a consequences.