Work discomfort: the problem of seeing work as a simple exchange

If we had to establish a classification of the themes that are recurrent in therapy, without a doubt, we would have to pay attention to anxiety disorders, panic attacks, depression or adjustment disorders that result from work situations and relationships that occur in the workplace.

These situations can derive, for example, from a change in the leadership of a service or in the coordination of this, of ways of promoting staff the staff, the incorporation of a new member into a team, the way to deal with conflicts and, possibly, many situations more.

It's about realizing that personal relationships within a system such as the work environment are a source of emotional conflicts that some people do not know how to handle adequately or fail to perceive without large doses of associated suffering.

• Related article: "Psychology of work and organizations: a profession with a future"

Sources of labor unrest

Within the workplace there is a power struggle, there are hidden alliances, there are even favoritism, protection and covert loyalties that can cause subtle abusive behaviors.

Some companies, both in the public and private spheres, are not entirely realistic in the management of Human Resources, in such a way that they cause overload in some people who are part of the team. This is counterproductive since it is a very effective way to burn someone with good work potential and commitment within the entity.

A very common error is lack of explicit recognition of work. To be able to recognize someone's work, both for its quality, productivity, effectiveness or efficiency, you have to know those details and really know what that person does.

Sometimes, some responsible or coordinating figures do not have this information in detail, or they disregard the work of others in a veiled way, considering it less important or qualified. Therefore, it is essential to have an attitude of frequent recognition to generate that sense of worth in all the people of a team, whatever their performance.

Another common mistake is not directly addressing conflicts or issues that generate tension and discomfort.as they can end up becoming a paradigm of behavior or a shared belief that some things are not can touch or change and, based on that idea, generate feelings of helplessness that diminish the capacities of someone.

When a person feels bad at work on an emotional level, they often resort to sick leave. If there is no interest in finding out what is happening, it may be the beginning of a loss of that person in their functions, in their skills and abilities. Even if you remain with the company, you could change your dedication, commitment and performance to damaging limits, ending in an internal dismissal or an economic and emotional burden for the team or the service in question.

Returning to the title of this article, it should be noted that many of these examples are subjectively perceived as situations of severe discomfort or abuse. When a conflict is not resolved and someone's frustration is perpetuated, they will perceive it as belittling, putting aside and mistreating them.

Thus, the lack of recognition can be perceived as indifference or lack of relevance and also as almost humiliating treatment. Power struggles that end up differentiating the positions of some protected people from others exposed to constant disapproval can also cause a feeling of abuse.

The importance of these arguments is clear, since all this translates into money, benefits or the absence of them. The higher productivity of people who feel good at work versus those who do not feel good is widely studied and documentedSo there is no doubt that dealing with job happiness pays off.

Work contexts that allow us to be happy

Happiness at work depends on objective factors and others that will be subjective. It is subjective that someone more or less likes the job they do and the chosen profession.

It is objective to have a professional purpose and, therefore, to know that their work matters within the organization; it is also promoting a climate of optimism and healthy and effective communication, allowing people to express themselves and be heard.

It is essential not to overload someone even though they have a great capacity for work, the principle of equity and justice must be present. Of course, recognize the work done and extol the strengths of each one explicitly and with the appropriate frequency. In short, making people feel valued, recognized and visible within the entities, favors that they can feel good in their professional field and that, without a doubt, is worth it.