I am afraid that my silence will be mistaken for rudeness

Q. I am generally a very easy going person, but sometimes I do not feel like talking to people.

These shifts in mood do not affect my work; they just affect how I interact with my colleagues. While at home, I lock myself in a room until I feel better, but at work I do not have this option so I don’t know what to do.

I am afraid my colleagues might mistake my silence for rudeness. Is there something I can do about this?

All of us have personal matters that we are grappling with at any given time. It is therefore important that we manage them in a way that does not affect our normal functioning at home and in the work set up. Work-life balance means being able to separate what we are going through in our personal life and the workplace.

At home, you are allowed to be more open to express yourself in the most natural manner since the people around you understand the way you behave and you have personal space to express yourself. In the workplace, naturally, there will be different people with varying levels of temperament, however, for all to co-exist, then each individual must moderate their temperament to be acceptable to the others in the team.

Most organisational cultures are centred on team work among colleagues, which defines how you should interact with colleagues and superiors. Note that when you are in the mood swing, you can me misconstrued to be defiant to your superiors in the office. This has a ripple effect as it can lead to disciplinary action being taken against you, especially if you don’t explain your situation coherently.

In the office, you require the input of your colleagues to perform your role effectively, if they notice that you are unfriendly, they may ignore you, which will ultimately affect your performance.

We spend most of our productive time at work, therefore you should endeavour to nurture professional and friendly relations with your peers and bosses, otherwise you will be unhappy and will not find fulfilment at the workplace.

I also advise that you seek advice from your HR manager on how the company can support you to seek professional help.

Don’t shy aware and assume this is your personality. A counsellor can assess you, otherwise this situation may worsen.