OFFICE POLITICS
Don't get caught up in it.
Hello Substack family, it’s Monday morning and I thought to share this with you all. Especially because I’m also a victim of workplace abuse and office politics.
There’s a different kind of exhaustion that comes from working in an environment where people smile with you in the morning, then quietly work against you before the day ends. It drains you slowly. Not just physically, but emotionally too. You begin to question yourself, overthink every move, and carry anxiety into spaces that should have felt safe.
Sometimes, the hardest part isn’t even the workload. It’s the unnecessary tension, the gossip, the silent competition, the manipulation, and the feeling of constantly having to protect yourself while simply trying to do your job.
Whatever you do, please try your best to stay away from office politics. I know work can sometimes feel like a second home because you spend most of your time there. You see the same faces every day, laugh together, eat together, complain about work together, and over time it becomes easy to let your guard down. You start feeling comfortable enough to share personal things about your life, your finances, your relationships, your struggles, or even your opinions about other people at work. But one thing I have come to realize is that not everybody listening to you genuinely cares about you. Some people are simply listening to have something to talk about later.
Office politics rarely starts loudly. Most times, it begins with little conversations that seem harmless. Someone tells you something about another colleague and asks you not to repeat it. Another person comes to complain about management. Before you know it, people are forming sides, carrying stories, watching who talks to who, and turning small misunderstandings into silent battles. The scary part is that you may not even know when your own name becomes part of those conversations.
One day everything feels normal, the next day the energy around you changes and you cannot even explain why. People become distant, certain opportunities stop coming your way, or you suddenly notice awkward silence when you enter a room.
I think what makes it painful is the fact that it often comes from people you trusted or felt comfortable around. People you laughed with. People you covered shifts for. People you defended when others spoke badly about them. It hurts because you never really expect people you are cool with to switch up on you over gossip, competition, jealousy, favoritism, or simply because they want to stay in certain people’s good books. Some workplaces can honestly make people become versions of themselves they normally wouldn’t be.
These days, I honestly believe it is better to be polite, respectful, and professional with everyone while still keeping certain things to yourself. Not every conversation needs your opinion. Not every joke deserves your contribution. Not every workplace issue needs you picking a side. Go there, do your work well, collect your salary, and protect your peace as much as you can.
Because once workplace tension starts affecting you emotionally, it slowly follows you home too. You begin overthinking interactions, replaying conversations in your head, feeling anxious around people, and carrying stress that has nothing to do with your actual job.
At the end of the day, your coworkers are not always your enemies, but they are not always your safe space either. Learn the difference early. Being quiet does not make you weak. Keeping your personal life private does not make you proud. Sometimes it simply means you have learned that peace is more valuable than feeling included in every conversation happening around you.
As always...thank you for reading. Thank you for subscribing. And thank you for reminding me why I write.
Eno❤