Life is hard. I’m not talking about paying bills or making it from week to week. I’m talking about the hard issues. The two dreaded “D” words: death and divorce. These topics are very sensitive and never fun discuss with your manager or co-workers. It can be hard to come in for eight hours every day and leave these hard issues at the door. I can tell you from personal experience, it’s not easy. A little over a year ago, my grandmother was in a nursing home losing her battle with cancer. It was right around Christmas, which made it difficult, and I still had to go into work and give my 110% percent every day.
Going through a divorce is not any easier either. It may seem like everything you worked for and loved is going right down the drain. The gossip and pointing fingers can make work really uncomfortable. You may be losing your house or getting caught up in a bitter custody battle. But you have to continue to work, because you have to move forward.
While these situations are difficult, there are three ways you can manage this with work:
- Be honest with your immediate manager/supervisor and let them know your situation. You don’t have to go into every single detail, just inform them of the situation. This will help them to prepare in the event that you have to be late or miss work for any reason.
- Try and remain as professional as you can. While it can be hard to separate work and life, remaining professional can help distract and keep your mind off the situation.
- Take care of yourself. This is not only important in helping you perform well at work, but also helps you deal personally when you have to go home at the end of the day.
Grief and loss are hard facts of life. It can be incredibly hard at first. Know that you have the strength and continue on, and that with the support of your colleagues, you can defeat it.
