I had a habit of barging into co-workers’ offices and asking if they would go downstairs and smoke with me so I could complain about my mean boss. But the last few times I’d done that, my co-workers’ faces fell. I was exhausting, I realized. I should keep my negativity to myself, but also, I had nothing positive to say. So I drew my blinds and stopped talking to anyone, choosing instead to wallow alone. The one time I forced myself to go out with co-workers, I found myself whining miserably the whole time, like an unstoppable train.
Relate
