Monday, February 22, 2010

It ain't getting any easier!


This is the start of week 3 of our new system and it isn't getting any easier for those in our department at all!! Because, unlike other departments, we work on an 8 week rotation basis and the 'jobs' we do go with the shift, what I learned Week 1 didn't mean didly squat for what I then did Week 2. I had a whole new bunch of stuff to learn Week 2. And now, starting Week 3, I have yet a whole new list of stuff I have to learn. Today was the closest I've come to breaking down so far!!

A good deal of the frustration comes from the fact that I feel I'm pretty good at learning new programs, but with this cycle we work, and each week starting all over with something different is killing me. Not only that, it's bringing out the Drama Queen in me big time. My supervisor is looking at me worriedly (is that a word?) at times as until now, I've been able to keep the Drama Queen under wraps pretty good. And the more the Drama Queen comes out, the more the....well... off colour stuff comes out. We had a team meeting last week and I started off by saying I had an idea that might help all of us relieve some stress. I said they might laugh at the suggestion, but I was serious. I suggested we all bring in some eggs and all take 15 minutes to go throw the eggs at the trees at the back of the parking lot. Everyone laughed, but I said again I was serious - that women are taught from birth almost not to display any kind of violent emotion. Instead we are supposed to clean - as if that really relieves stress. HA!!

And then it became evident that I've been rereading too much of Eve Dallas because when the laughter at my suggestion died down a bit and our supervisor said the workplace wasn't really the place to relieve stress (though I don't think taking 15 minutes to throw eggs would be that bad) she said we need to relieve our stress at home at which point I replied (and I still can't believe I actually came out and said this out loud - goes to show how much it's getting to me) that 'that was fine for most of the team - they had someone they could go home to and bang - but me, I live alone and there's no one to relieve my stress on!!'

So far the people at work are getting a kick out of me - except for my supervisor who doesn't realize that the 'Drama Queen' who has been unleashed is just a different kind of reliever of stress and is worried I may have a melt down soon - but I'm going to have to put that filter back again, the one between my brain and my mouth.

I worked 7 1/2 hours today and it felt about 6 hours of it was spent spinning my wheels and getting nowhere. I'm not used to working like that!!!

4 comments:

nath said...

Awww, poor you, Kristie :(

I kind of understand what you're going through... It's a bit like me trying to figure out a new experiment :(

The throwing eggs idea is great :D And seriously, why should we relieve stress at home when the build-up is done at work?!!?

azteclady said...

(((Kristie)))

I know what you mean.

(I just started working for Panera last month, and each time they move me to a new "station" I feel like a moron--I know it's not that hard, but there are so many new details to keep track of, that by the end of the first shift in the new position I feel like the slowest dumb brick in the place.)





It's bound to get better, though *hug*

orannia said...

(((Kristie))) There is nothing worse that not knowing what you are doing at work, I've almost been at my job for 4 years and most of the time I still don't know what I'm doing...

I hope things gets better soon!

Kristie (J) said...

Orannia: What's adding to the frustration is no one is sure what they are doing!! Four weeks ago we all knew our jobs inside out - now no one does.

AL: I've taken to doing print screens and printing them and hanging them up on my overhead bin when I do something. The rest of the team thinks it's funny - but it's my own positive reinforcement *g*.
I do have good ideas even though no one else is doing them - *chuckle*

Nath: Exactly!! The stress build during the day so by the end it's really tough. If we had an egg throwing time in the am and then in the pm then I bet we would all feel much better! But so far no one wants to follow me to the trees.