Right, so unless you’re in the TV series The Office, your typical corporate job probably isn’t what you dreamed of as a five-year-old wanting a cool career. Unlike me, a lot of people in conventional jobs consider their coworkers toxic or just plain annoying, which can seriously disrupt their mental health. But now, there are hacks to avoid that, and they’re actually pretty fun.
An influencer on TikTok, @thehappy9to5, posted a video asking people for their most unhinged hacks to survive their jobs. The caption read, “Give me the most unhinged hack you use to protect your mental health around toxic coworkers. I’m not talking ‘document everything,’ but the things that always help you keep your sanity.”
@thehappy9to5 #toxiccoworker #toxiccolleagues #toxicpeople #mentalhealthatwork #worklife
And people delivered. The comments were full of hilarious and, might I add, truly unhinged hacks to protect your mental health around toxic coworkers. So, here are all the best ones:
Malicious compliance
This was by far the most common hack. Literally every other person mentioned malicious compliance. Basically, you do exactly what they tell you to do, no more, no less. One person commented, “Once my job made us do ‘productivity’ timesheets, and we all agreed to be maliciously compliant. People were writing stuff like, 8:01 hang up jacket, 8:05 took tampon out.” I mean, definitely the most fun and delightfully unhinged hack out there.
Grey rocking
As the name suggests, you become a rock. More specifically, a grey rock. You deprive the toxic coworker of the satisfaction of your reaction. You don’t engage, you don’t interact, you’re just a grey rock sitting silently in the corner.
Imagining you’re in The Office sitcom
This has to be my favourite. Why wouldn’t you pull a Jim Halpert and stare into the imaginary camera every time a coworker says something questionable? I couldn’t tell you even if I tried.
Quiet quitting
This might be tough for people used to overworking themselves. It’s not about slacking off, you simply do the bare minimum. You stick to your job description and nothing more, nothing less. Sure, you risk missing out on that promotion you were hoping for. But, who wants a promotion in a company that doesn’t recognise your worth? Not me.
Working your own wage
Just say, “Above my pay grade, sorry,” and move on. That’s it.
Making a bingo card
Via TikTok
Okay, I absolutely love this one. You basically make a bingo card of everything they are going to say, and when they say it you cross it out. Easy, simple, life saver. You’re protecting your mental peace AND having fun. Yes, please.
Imagining yourself as a scientist who just discovered a new bacteria
This one definitely cracked me up. The idea is to look at toxic coworkers with a sense of fascination, like you’re a scientist observing a new species, something odd, but you’re just chilling and studying it.
Saying ‘What a weird thing to say’
Someone commented that they said this phrase every single time a coworker said something remotely questionable or wild. Eventually, the coworkers stopped being horrible. It worked for them, might work for you too.
Giving different versions of the story
This one’s exactly what it sounds like. You tell different versions of the same story to different people, and they end up debating and disagreeing over the details. Sure, they might stop believing your story, but it’s a win either way.
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