When stressed in work, have you ever gone into the loo, put the lid down and then sat on it?

[JesusInTheCabbageVan]

Just curious. This seems to happen all the time in films/tv (usually female characters for some reason) and I can't imagine doing this irl. Our work toilets aren't terrible, but they're not particularly nice, and I wouldn't feel better after a good long stint sitting there (especially if some poor soul was trying to have a stealth poo in the next cubicle - another thing that never happens on TV).

Clearly someone has decided that this is what career women do when in crisis. Is there any truth to it? Am I handling workplace stress all wrong?

Depends where there is to hide at work. I had a huuuuge cupboard just for me next to my desk (a walk-in kind) so I used to sit inside there and eat chocolate when stressed.

On occasion, yes. Not proudest moments but sometimes just need somewhere to escape to, esp if feeling tearful (haven’t cried at desk or in a meeting to date, thanks to a handful of these ‘toilet seat moments’ over the last 10 years or so.

Yes. There is no staffroom where I work, nowhere to go. Min wage shit job.

I don't sit on it. But I've stood there and cried on occasions. Our toilets are quite nice really.

I have, not for a long stretch of time. Just a 5 minute cooling off.

Don't get me wrong, I have hidden in a cubicle before. Never got comfy though. However pissed off I've been, my germophobia always wins

I used to do it in my old job all the time! lol

Yes all the time

No

I do it all the time. And have done it in every job I have!

We have a bench in the changing room as there are only two cubicles.

Yes - but then my bladder gets over excited and I end up having to have a wee 😂🤦🏻‍♀️

I used to go for a stomp around the block to cope with work stress but I imagine there are plenty of jobs where leaving the building like that wouldn't be an option and the only place to hide tearful eyes would be a toilet cubicle!

Haven’t cried in work, but definitely have hung out on the toilet with the lid down for a few mins just to get some breathing space.

I've hidden in the toilet to avoid a coworker that I don't want to see if I don't have to.

I would probably sit in it as normal and have a wee while I was in there, I thought us women could multitask.

I do this daily at work. I'm an introvert and need headspace. I take my phone.

Did it last Monday bawled my eyes out, had a wee and then went back to the hellhole......

I've definitely done this when I've fucked something up at work. I used to take a calculator with me so I could figure out exactly how much my mistake had cost, but of course now a phone has everything I need - what progress!

Yes, once at an old place when I didn’t want people to see me cry.

Where I work now has individual toilets and sinks (although still next to each other) which is a much nicer place to hide. Particularly useful in early pregnancy before anyone knows how shit you feel!

Yes
And the lid broke
Had to confess to office manager while crying like a loon.
She sent me home.

Oh yes, I've definitely done this quite a few times. Toilet seat down then sit down with my head in my hands and cry. Sometimes you just need to take 5 mins and let the emotion out before you can carry on with your head held high. In some offices there is nowhere to go other than a toilet cubicle. Worst place was somewhere I worked in Asia that only had 4 toilet cubicles for a few hundred people so there was almost always a queue and no way could you have a private snivel.

No, but I have gone into the cubicle and stood there or crouched down and cried or just buried my head in my hands and not cried for a few minutes.

Yes of course. Not often but I have

I am surprised reading this at the number of people who cry at work. I knew a lot of people cried at my work, but most jobs aren't as horrible as my was last winter.