UNDER PRESSURE

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Organizations should help us stop lying about this. 
As for me, I can’t work so well under pressure.


First of all, why do you want to even put me under pressure? Don’t you know it’ll affect my mental well-being?


Come to think of it, a well-organized organization will plan ahead of time, inform their employees, and take the necessary precautions ahead of time.


Why are you making it look like an employee is inefficient or incapable if they’re unable to work under pressure?

What's the idea behind being able to work under pressure sef?


Pressure puts people under tension and anxiety, especially me! 😂 


You need to see me when I’m running late for mass, about to miss a train, or late for an appointment; I speak to objects as though they had ears, everything on my way must give way, otherwise, 'wahala' for them. I’d be speaking to myself, vex anyhow, rush, and just go Gaga! 😂 


I remember when I was about to miss a deadline for submitting a project, my computer automatically started freezing, omo, I knelt down and started ‘kabashing’, I was speaking to the MacBook but it was deaf 😩, I was sweating under air conditioning plus cold weather, crying, I almost ran mad! 


Hahahaaha


I have to admit it, being under pressure is not my strength. Family pressure, emotional, academic pressure, I wash my hand commot. 


So please whether you’re an organization or an individual, if you give me a task, abeg gimme enough time, and I promise to deliver. 


And I know I’m not the only one on this table. 😂 



Speaking about pressure, I recall my experience with a female bank staff in Nigeria, who for some reason was just speaking to me brashly, she answered my inquiries with a rude undertone and discharged me without offering any help or advice, for something that had a solution. I kept quiet and stepped aside, but I wasn’t gonna go home with her spoiling my day. 🙅🏼‍♀️


She was probably having a bad day and a bit under pressure. I approached another staff beside her, explained my case to him and he was happy to assist me. This was what the lady had told me was impossible. 


I sat on the waiting chair and watched how she was speaking to other customers as though they’re less than humans. She ignored a customer who was making an inquiry, an old man o, told him off and said “next customer”!Gurl that was rude! She seemed like the head of that department.


So after a while of observation, I approached her and said:

  • Hello, please if you have a minute I’d like to have a word with you. She then obliged nonchalantly. Then I started:
  • I noticed you’ve been quite tensed, and I really did not like the way you spoke to me earlier. I’ve also observed that you’ve done the same to other customers. It’s okay to be having a bad day, and I understand the pressure that work can put on us at times, I’m also a worker too. But it’s not best to turn it out on people. if perhaps, you’re under pressure, it’s best if you take a break, because you don’t wanna leave many customers offended walking out of your bank after their experience with you. If not for your colleague who has been a bit kinder, and offered to assist me, I’d be one of those who’d walk out of this bank and never come back again. I continued. Most of all, you don’t know who these people are or where you’ll meet them tomorrow. 


After I finished speaking to her I said thanks and was about to leave. She called me back and began apologizing, She was broken. She said she was having a bad day and was truly sorry for her reaction. I left, a few days later her colleague called me saying this lady (whom I spoke to) had taken my task from him and personally handled it. I was excited and grateful. What she said was impossible automatically became a possibility after our conversation.


Going forward, I’ve been working on ways to handle pressure; and some of the strategies that have worked for me include:

  • Take a break
  • Pour water on your head
  • Don’t panic 
  • Be calm
  • Stop thinking 
  • Focus on the present
  • Stop procrastinating 


I hear some people say they are more productive when they’re under pressure. Well done! 🙌🏻


How efficient are you under pressure?

How do you deal with pressure? Emotional, academic, family, and other external forms of pressure?


©️progressoberiko 

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