Re crying in work

[Tubbylittletitwitch]

I have a new (very stressful) job within a company I've been with for a few years. The workload is much higher than it should be for a new starter due to other people unexpectedly leaving the department. I have been ill with something between a cold and a flu for the past ten days (fever, headaches etc) but due to high work load and wanting to make a good impression I (stupidly) continued working from home rather than taking a few days off to recover. This meant I carried on working up to 10 hour days while Sick on very little sleep and due to lack of appetite very little food. I returned to work on Friday but was exhausted and after a particularly stressful conference call (high maintenance and rude/aggressive client) I actually broke down in tears. I am mortified. Only the two people sat near to me saw (I hope) but one was my manager who took me into a room where I proceeded to SOB. Not cry....SOB!! Like a toddler. AIBU to think that this will negatively affect my career and I'll be deemed unfit to cope with the pressure of the job? Kind of a WWYD also; what, if anything can I do to come back from this? I'm Mortified

I'm a teacher too, and barely a day goes by without someone crying about something - usually the TAs actually, but sometimes teachers. I very rarely cry, but on the very odd occasion I have (in 28 years), at least my friends/colleagues know that something must really be up.

I have to say that two particular people, who cry at the drop of a hat for little or no discernible reason, do try the patience of others. For the rest though, if it's a one-off, then everyone's very sweet and rally round with hugs and cups of tea.

I'm not a cryer but I don't think badly of people who do. I think a lot less of shouting and people losing their tempers and yet that seems to be more acceptable in the workplace.

Crying accompanied by lots of moaning and complaining would be a different thing but a simple bout of crying is of no note.

I wouldn't worry about it. Hope you are feeling better now.

Feel for you OP having also cried at work more times than I care to remember (and until my PTSD was properly addressed, it was often proper sobbing).

The double standards to this in my industry piss me off. Man losing control of his emotions by yelling/bawling at junior staff = fine, may even engender respect and awe. Woman losing control of emotions by crying = career-limiting and embarrassing.

It feels like a big deal now, but there's a very good chance it will all be forgotten by next week!

I cried in work a month or so ago because my work load had basically trebled as someone had gone on Maternity leave and I was expected to pick up all their systems based work with nothing but a twenty min training session with someone who kept going off on tangents.

I asked my boss for a word and said I was struggling, started crying then hid in the toilets for half an hour until my red eye had cleared up
Luckily my boss was really understanding so it wasn't too bad.

OP I have to say if you're that sick you should listen to your brain / body and take some time to recooperate. Working like this won't benefit you or your colleagues x