October 27, 2017

This week I’ve been taking a careful look at how I’m responding to stress and everyday difficulties, and I’d be interested to hear from you all how you manage stress and your temper. Thanks, and here’s this week:

1. How Do I Deal with the Office Know-it-all?, Shondaland. “As tempting as it is, you should not gossip about this person to other people on staff. You should not commiserate. You should not make this a “thing” that everyone knows about and is talking about.” I don’t work with a know-it-all but in general I need the reminder not to “commiserate” when it’s really just picking at something, like a scab.
2. How do I work with someone I can’t stand?, Ask a Manager. I love what she says here about having compassion for people who annoy us, and also what this commenter near the top wrote: “The part about compassion is applicable for SO MANY situations at work when you find yourself frustrated by someone else’s behavior. Pushing yourself to take that step back and think “There’s probably a reason why they’re acting this way, and it’s very likely that the reason isn’t because they actively want to make me miserable,” can really help in reframing the person who’s annoying you as a human being who’s worthy of your respect and professionalism." 
3. To Complain is to Truly Be Alive, Samantha Irby. This is the flip side of the coin, but Samantha Irby is such a good and funny writer. We contain multitudes – I can have compassion for people who annoy me and still think that “complaining is a hot bath for your feelings,” right? This one is so funny.
4. Faithful and Virtuous Night, Louise Glück. Haunting is a good word to describe this book for me. I’m still trying to figure it out. See these lines, though, in a context of grief and recovery: “How deep it goes, this soul, / like a child in a department store, / seeking its mother – // Perhaps it is like a diver / with only enough air in his tank / to explore the depths for a few minutes or so – / then the lungs send him back.” 
5. Björk on Björk: The Inimitable Icelandic Superstar Interviews Herself. Honestly, what a strange and cool person. One of the first questions she asks herself is “What is your relationship with flutes?” which is excellent. I actually love how she talks about her work, as dense as this read is.