Since you spend 8-10 hours every day at work, it is important that you feel welcomed there. However, the workplace is just another microcosm of the world. It will be inhabited by people with very different personalities, and you might not get along with all of them. In this post, we will see what to do if you don’t feel welcomed at work?
You might have trouble socializing with your co-workers and forming friendships with them. There could even develop feelings of animosity between you and some colleagues that you don’t get along with. You may also have to contend with rivalry and jealousy from those who work beside you.
All of these things can be overwhelming at times, especially if you are also under constant stress. It feels like you don’t belong at work or that people don’t like you there, you will begin to get depressed and unmotivated.
This would negatively affect your performance at work and harm your mental health as well. Fortunately, there are some measures you can take to improve your relations with your co-workers:
Let’s Check out What to do if You Don’t Feel Welcomed at Work –
Figure Out Whether the Problem is Internal or External
First of all, you need to figure out whether the cause of the problem is internal or external. It is internal if your problem arises more from how you perceive yourself rather than how others perceive you.
This usually happens when you tend to overthink or have self-esteem issues. In this case, you should seek counselling to improve your confidence and low self-esteem.
If you are facing actual animosity at work, it means that the problem is external, and this is much harder to deal with.
Observe and Narrow Down the Issues
If the problem is external, then you will need to observe and analyze your interactions with all your colleagues and figure out where the friction is occurring.
Once you know which people you are having trouble with, you can distance yourself from them.
Instead, spend time with the colleagues that you do get along with. You can also try to make new friends through socializing at lunch hour and coffee breaks.
Get Out of Your Shell
Perhaps you are feeling uncomfortable among your colleagues because you are shy and socially awkward. If this is the case, it is essential to make an effort to come out of your shell and socialize with people.
Invite someone you feel you will get along with for lunch or coffee. Attend parties organized by your co-workers and engage in small talk. If a group from your office is going out together, tag along with them. It might feel uncomfortable at first, but you will find yourself loosening up over time.
Observe Your Colleagues
You should never try to change who you are fundamental as a person, but we do need to make adjustments sometimes in the outside world.
For instance, If you are very uptight and your colleagues tend to be laidback, it might help your relations with them if you loosened up a bit. People are drawn towards those who are like them.
So you could observe the way your colleagues interact and start behaving more like them, and this would lead to them involving you in their social gatherings.
You could also pick up a new hobby like golf or bowling so that you will have more instances where you will be able to socialize with your colleagues.
Conclusion
Since we spend so much of our time in the workplace, it is important that we feel welcome there. If you are having issues with your colleagues, you need to find a way to resolve them.
We hope that the suggestions provided above help you deal with the problems you may be facing at work. Tell us about the issues you have dealt with at work by writing in the comment section below.
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