For the last two weeks my boss has been on vacation. I was pleasantly surprised when he took my ulcer with him. Friday he came back, and you guessed it, so did my ulcer. Now I’m aware my ulcer wasn’t actually healed during this time, but it is safe to say the stress that irritates it is directly linked to my boss.
There were several factors that contributed to my stress on his first day back:
1) I want to take some vacation time and had to put my request in to him. This might not seem like a big deal, except it has been in the past with my boss. Details of my vacation conflict can be found here: Vacation SmackDown!
2) Things tend to break when my boss is around and apparently when he’s coming back. The microwave got wind of his return and had a major malfunction. And like our previous office equipment strikes, tale told in All The Breaks, it just needed to be unplugged. Consequently reminding me of my need to take a vacation.
3) We resumed some of the fun games we play in our office. The ever popular “guess who I’m talking to” always keeps me on my toes. Please check out: Ain’t Got The Look if you need a game refresher. Also pulled out was the recently discovered “do you know the answer.” For a review of that one, please check out: A Second Opinion.
Somehow I made it through the day, but found my technique of reminding myself there were worse situations (outlined in Six Degrees of Worse), wasn’t effective. Apparently my ulcer isn’t fooled into thinking this makes my situation any less stressful. It only recognizes: Yes, you could be the one he’s yelling at and threatening to fire. Yes, that would suck even more, but less suckage does not equal less stress, ergo less ulcer.
That about sums it all up. Sadly.
ReplyDeleteI used to find the same thing when I worked in an office. Bosses are a special breed. They WANT things. Constantly. And, for the most part, they have no concept whatsoever about how one goes about getting those things. That those things are not instant. And that things often go wrong through no fault of your own, but you are the one who is magically to blame. Damn bosses. We who work for them DESERVE vacation whenever we need. Vacation AND mental health holidays. :)
ReplyDeleteGood luck with your ulcer. May it be peaceful and grow an immunity to your boss.
I had two (bleeding) ulcers at the age of twenty. I feel your pain. Although the stress that would irritate mine was directly linked to the abusive ass I was in the process of divorcing.
ReplyDeleteI lost 27 pounds in five weeks.
If your job is causing ulcers I think it is time to look for a new one. Pronto. Also time to give up, well, everything. Coffee, booze, spicy food, dairy. There's more, but those are the ones I remember.