Discouragement@UAE workplace: Does your job make you feel useless?

It was just six months back that Jane Smith (name changed) was ready to quit her job.

“I was a very happy person at work until my old boss left and a new one took over. Working under him was a chore, I started dreading going to work, was always tensed whenever he approached me and always doubted my abilities. No matter what I did, it was never good enough,” she told this website.

“But with the help and support of my friends, I’m still onboard because I’ve realised that it’s just not me but everybody else as well in the line of fire. I’ve learnt to deal with it,” she added.

Discouragement at work is a common thing but becomes a serious issue when an individual is unable to deal with it and may even be tempted to quit their job. But before taking such drastic measures, one should try to find appropriate ways to handle the situation, advice experts.

“Whether it is a raise, promotion, restructure, etc. at some point there is bound to be disappointment even at the world’s best job with the world’s best boss,” says Christopher Peterson, Consultant, Financial Division at The Gulf Recruitment Group.

Peterson’s mantra is to make light of the problem and then find ways to deal with it. This will make the individual feel better. “No one has died because of disappointment,” he says, trying to portray the problem that can be dealt with and not as something which means the end of the world.

“The key is perspective. Take some time away from the issue and do something that puts you in a positive mood. Then re-examine the issue.

You may decide it was not such a big deal after all. If it still needs to be addressed, you will be in the right frame of mind to approach the problem and the person in a constructive way after you have taken some time off,” he suggests.

James Sayer, Director, Robert Half Middle East advices on not getting bogged down with this problem.

“It’s natural for professionals to have setbacks or be discouraged at work, although what is important is to learn how to cope with these feelings in order to turn a negative situation into a positive outcome,” he says.

He believes open communication can solve many a problems including discouragement.

“Often the best course of action is communicating – whether with your coworkers, manager or colleague from another department. Having a mentor external to the organisation can also allow you to receive unbiased feedback if you’re struggling with a particular issue.

"Regardless of the situation, it is important that you take a minute to reflect, develop your course of action, surround yourself with individuals who can assist and execute your plan.

Keeping feelings bottled up will just become demoralising and further compound your feelings of discouragement,” he told ‘Emirates24|7’.

MUST READ:

Improved personal finance, jobs fuelling Dubai consumer confidence

Citigroup to pay former executives $15.5m each

Image via Shutterstock

Follow Emirates 24|7 on Google News.