People who pass their stress onto others

[Skirtingboards]

I've worked with a couple of people who seem to have this way of stressing themselves at you. They have this manner that somehow makes their stress contagious. I find it very difficult to work n with these people. It's as if you catch their stress.

I'm trying to be careful to deal with my own stress levels and I find it unfair the way people seem to share theirs with everyone.

I think stressed people perhaps are more sensitive to others stress and pick it up more easily. So we stress each other out in a kind of loop.

I feel the same as you OP but I’m not sure if it’s not a chicken/egg situation.

Actually I've just realised my period is coming up in a few days so maybe I'm being even more annoyed about it than usual.

My MIL is exactly what you describe OP. I have more than enough stress of my own, but no matter how calm I am going into her house, I always come out stressed and upset because of her. It's always HER problems and how bad SHE has it (she doesn't fwiw) Nobody else is allowed to ever experience stress.

Yep my boss does this. We share an office and he offloads everything on to me all the time, I know about every managerial issue I’m just not getting the managerial wage to deal with it.