Working as a woman, in this patriarchal and not-so-subtly sexist society is not easy. But do you need to keep fighting? Definitely not if the battle starts affecting your mental health and career. Here are a few pieces of work advice (no unsolicited advice, take whatever you like) that we would like to give to our fellow women at work.
Trust Yourself Unconditionally
This had to be the first. Trusting oneself is one thing but trusting oneself “unconditionally” can change everything. We often do something at work but even though we know we are right, we don’t sound as confident. And then there are times when we trust ourselves and are confident but still there are a few ifs and buts.
You all will relate to this. How many times have you done something right and still indulged in overthinking after that? That happens because you don’t trust yourself unconditionally. Your lack of confidence is because of the conditions you have put even when it comes to believing in your abilities.
There should be no conditions when it comes to trusting yourself. Just like there are no conditions when it comes to loving others and oneself.
Say Yes Only When You Are Actually Interested
People pleasers will get why we had to add this to our list of work advice. You don’t want to do something but you feel saying no may sound a little rude so you say yes. At work, women tend to say yes to work because they believe saying no would make them look not interested or underconfident. Well, if you are not interested, let people think what they want to. You know what is not right for you, stick to your decision. Do not say yes to anything that doesn’t intrigue or benefit you.
Not All Battles Are Worth Fighting
Sometimes, leaving and not indulging in any fight is the best you can do. It gives you an upper hand as well. Of course, you can’t leave or run away from every situation but the situations and people who can affect you in the worst way should be avoided.
And make sure when you are leaving the situation and the fight, do not keep thinking and regretting it.
Avoid Regretting Something You’ve Done
Most of the time you do something your gut tells you to do and other times you do something after considering all the possibilities. In either situation, your decision is based on your experience, mindset, and choice, unless it directly affects someone else negatively, there is no point in thinking about it over and over again or regretting what you have done.
Regretting anyways has no benefit whatsoever, you can’t change what has been done and if you can, do that instead of regretting it and move on.
Don’t Tolerate Bullsh*t Just Because Speaking Up Might Offend Someone
Women! You can’t keep tolerating something that’s wrong just because speaking up can offend someone or make you look bad. If you are uncomfortable, talk. Let people know that you are uncomfortable. If they get offended because you choose to stand up for yourself, it is their problem. And honestly, that says a lot about them.
We know how challenging it can be to stand up for yourself, especially at work because then you will become the “bad person” and people will start avoiding you.
But think about it, is their opinion about you more important than your comfort? No! The answer is no and there are no ifs and buts here. Nothing is more important than you and no matter who is getting offended. Always stand up and tell people where you want to draw the line. If someone does not respect that, they will be responsible for the repercussions.
This is extremely important work advice because women in the corporate environment often overlook it.
And if the management doesn’t understand your stand, why are you even working there? You can do a lot better than working with or for someone who doesn’t even respect your choice.
Draw a Line Between Personal and Professional
Oftentimes, your friendly and nice behaviour is blamed for people crossing the boundaries you set. People aren’t going to stop crossing boundaries, not any time soon, and this is very unfortunate.
But to safeguard ourselves we need to draw a dark, bold, clearly visible line between personal and professional so that in the future nobody can point fingers at us. Of course, they can’t point fingers even now but that is one fight that can be avoided so why not.
We realise that this work advice can seem a little problematic to a lot of you but when it comes to the practical world, this one fight can affect your career more than you anticipate. It is easier to create a thick boundary than ask people to respect your boundaries no matter how thick or thin you lay them.
Moreover, drawing a line between your personal and professional life can help you avoid getting attached to your colleagues.
Even if it is not always in a romantic way, we end up expecting a lot from our colleagues just because we spend 8 to 9 hours of our day together. While there will be one or two colleagues who’d stay with you even after you leave your job, most of your colleagues don’t care about what you do once you are not a part of their team.
So, introducing them to your personal side and life does not make sense. Keep it professional, it will help you.
Read more: 5 Things Successful Women Do On Fridays To Beat The Sunday Scaries
Parting Words
Women these days are preferring working for themselves rather than working under someone else because they don’t feel appreciated.
Moreover, as a boss, women get to change the corporate world for themselves as well as other women. If you are one such woman who would like to change the current work scenario for fellow women, it’s time to start your own business.
Not sure how? Don’t worry, we have everything sorted out for you. Take this course on how to start and grow your own business and you will have everything you need to know all under one roof.
