4 Ways We Make Ourselves Miserable at Work

"Things happen at work that are upsetting. Thinking about them for the purpose of problem-solving or processing emotions makes sense. Beyond that, though, continuing to rehash negative topics, either mentally or verbally, only results in reigniting negative emotions. Although it's easier said than done, practice letting go of negative experiences and issues after you've done what you could about them."

"Humans (and other primate species) are tuned to be very sensitive to experiencing unfair treatment. It's likely that you will feel unfairly treated at work at some point, and it's upsetting. Unfortunately, there are some inherent biases that prompt us to feel unfairly treated when it may not be the case. For example, because we are aware of everything we do, and not aware of everything someone else does, it naturally feels as though we work harder than our colleagues."

Many people become miserable at work by engaging in behaviors that fuel negative emotions. Four common experiences often lead to negative feelings: continuing to dwell on upsetting events, focusing on perceived unfair treatment, and other self-defeating patterns. Rehashing negative topics mentally or verbally reignites negative emotions and rarely produces productive outcomes. Letting go after doing what one can prevents unnecessary rumination. Sensitivity to unfair treatment is natural, and perceptual biases make personal effort feel greater than others'. Stress amplifies workload distortions and makes coworkers' relative ease more salient, increasing feelings of unfair burden.

Read at Psychology Today