Those working in an office know firsthand how easy it is to set tongues wagging. If your workplace isn’t agog with gossip yet, then it will probably be very soon. Since it is in many people’s nature to gossip about their co-workers, you will find it difficult, if not impossible, to keep your colleagues from talking about your break-up.
Your colleagues see you every single day: they know how you behave when you are happy and when you are not. Therefore, your strained smile along with your sad look will not let you keep the fact that you are currently preparing your legal divorce forms a secret.
Even though gossip is inevitable, you shouldn’t go along with it. You don’t want your colleagues nosing into your marital problems, do you? Their evil tongues can make false accusations and thus destroy your reputation. You surely don’t want that, too! Below, there are a few helpful tips on how to avoid being on everybody’s lips and reduce the negative consequences of gossip if it occurs in your workplace.
Don’t go into details
If you decide to keep your cards close to your chest, then simply don’t go into details about your marital crisis. If you cannot pretend like nothing is happening, keep telling your co-workers that these are some family matters that you are currently dealing with until the divorce process is finalized. Even if you want to ask your boss to give you a few days off so that you can prepare for your cheap divorce in your own time, you still aren’t supposed to go into any details. You don’t have to tell your boss that you are looking for a DIY divorce kit to prepare your docs. Of course, if you place confidence in your boss, then you may discuss your situation with this person without worries.
Find a supportive person to pour out your heart to
If you choose to stay secretive about your marital problem, make sure you have a person to call to during a coffee break or after work. This is how you can unburden your heart when you fret over your colleagues gossiping so that you can sustain your productivity at work no matter how stressful your working conditions are.
If it is possible, find one trustworthy colleague to talk to
Check if there is someone at work who seems to be a trustworthy person. Talk to this individual to cool down when your emotions are running high. And if rumors start, you always know who pulls the strings. Even if you trust this person, it still makes sense to keep juicy details about your case a secret. Don’t discuss the amount of spousal support, whether or not you have been faithful, who will get full custody and other similar issues with this person.
Go somewhere for a coffee in the middle of your working day
If it is possible, try to unwind instead of crying at your desk. If you let your emotions run away with you in full view of everyone, you will only give your co-workers fresh food for gossip, and you don’t want that, do you?
You should better find a cozy place to escape from your work to at lunchtime where you can sit for a while and gather your thoughts together. Even if you start doing this regularly, others will simply think that you are meeting your friend or something like that. They will not even assume that you are currently facing marital problems and that this is just the way you release your stress.
Pay no heed to unwanted advice
If someone who has an aunt, who has once been through a divorce, or someone, who has gone through it themselves, wants to give you a lecture, just laugh such intent off. Instead of entering into unwanted discussions, sharing your plans, and explaining to someone you don’t trust why you have decided to file divorce papers online, just nod and reply with a joke. When you don’t have to take anybody’s advice, just reply with something like that:
- I appreciate your concern;
- Thank you for sharing your opinion;
- I would prefer to keep this issue to myself, etc.
Learn how to control your tears
All of us are humans and everybody may have a meltdown. If this happens to you at the office, just tell your colleagues that you are not yourself today and you prefer to not discuss anything. Also, you can ask someone to join you for a cup of coffee if you feel like that.
Being amidst a divorce process is always tough on everybody. Thereby, it is hard to keep coo when your heart bleeds. Nevertheless, you need to gather yourself up so that you can do your job as is right and proper.