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We have to go beyond only getting the job done. Workplace friendships help us connect with others in the same boat, and avoid burnout or breakdowns.
People always talk about office politics but I would like to talk about workplace friendships. It’s no crime to have a friend at the workplace, at least that’s what I have learned.
Back when I worked with an MNC, my workplace was so friendly that we felt it was some kind of a club that we were a part of. I’m still in touch with many of them and recall those days fondly. Of course, we did our work and it’s not as if we just went there to chat about movies and books. My point is that it made a lot of difference to me to have those workplace friendships.
After working in numerous workplaces, I later became very quiet and as a result haven’t made many lasting bonds.
I warn everyone against this because at the end of the day we are human beings, not machines or robots. We operate with our heart. Just as a plant needs watering to survive, human relationships, too, need to be nurtured, else things can get sour and people can get into a bad state of mind. It doesn’t happen only to one person. It happens to everyone at some point in their lives. If one is isolated and not in touch with anyone or only in touch with very few people, one feels cut off and weird. I speak from experience. It’s not a nice place to be at.
I recommend getting to know people and make friends at the workplace, but within boundaries.
You really shouldn’t get too personal at the workplace, and I totally do not recommend mixing business with pleasure. But I recommend being courteous and polite and bothering to know something about your colleagues. Like where they live, what their hobbies and interests are, etc. You will then know that you are not alone when things get challenging (and you can bet they will). One person can make all the difference to someone who feels isolated.
We are living in challenging times. We have to go beyond only getting the job done. We need to get it done in a humane way, to avoid burnout or breakdowns.
Image Credits: Christina | Unsplash
Aishwariya Laxmi is a writer, editor, blogger, and poet living in suburban Chennai, India. She blogs on https://aishwariyalaxmi.com/ and has a newsletter at https://ash.fambase.com/. Her poems and flash fiction have read more...
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Neena was the sole caregiver of Amma and though one would think that Amma was dependent on her, Neena felt otherwise.
Neena inhaled the aroma that emanated from the pan and took a deep breath. The aroma of cumin interspersed with butter transported her back to the modest kitchen in her native village. She could picture her father standing in the kitchen wearing his white crisp kurta as he made delectable concoctions for his only daughter.
Neena grew up in a home where both her parents worked together in tandem to keep the house up and running. She had a blissful childhood in her modest two-room house. The house was small but every nook and cranny gave her memories of a lifetime. Neena’s young heart imagined that her life would follow the same cheerful course. But how wrong she was!
When she was sixteen, the catastrophic clutches of destiny snatched away her parents. They passed away in a road accident and Neena was devastated. Relatives thronged her now gloomy house and soon it was decided that she should be married off.
Women today don’t want to be in a partnership that complicates their lives further. They need an equal partner with whom they can figure out life as a team, playing by each other’s strengths.
We all are familiar with that one annoying aunty who is more interested in our marital status than in the dessert counter at a wedding. But these aunties have somehow become obsolete now. Now they are replaced by men we have in our lives. Friends, family, and even work colleagues. It’s the men who are worried about why we are not saying yes to one among their clans. What is wrong with us? Aren’t we scared of dying alone? Like them?
A recent interaction with a guy friend of mine turned sour when he lectured me about how I would regret not getting married at the right time. He lectured that every event in our lives needs to be completed within a certain timeframe set by society else we are doomed. I wasn’t angry. I was just disappointed to realize that annoying aunties are rapidly doubling in our society. And they don’t just appear at weddings or family functions anymore. They are everywhere. They are the real pandemic.
Let’s examine this a little closer.
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