Many years ago, I was bullied at work by my supervisor. He’d recently been hired as the Executive Director of Corporate Marketing, and my creative team fell under his guard. I was quite excited about his hiring as our department had been without a director for months and we were in desperate need of a visionary leader. Unfortunately, we had no idea what a terrible boss he would be.
For decades, we’ve glorified this work-obsessed mindset while ignoring the consequences. And, believe it or not, the pandemic has only exacerbated the issue.
Many of us grew up in an era when “toughness” was something to be proud of. We wore our toughness on our sleeves like a badge of honor. Mental toughness is how we are often expected to respond to pressure, whether at work or in our personal lives. The tough mindset may get you through some difficult moments, but suppressing our emotions during difficult times can lead to procrastination, poor performance, and self-sabotage over time.