Challenges and work usually come together. No matter how much we like our job, there is always something that is off, and it can seriously challenge our mental health and tolerance and can even lead to burnout. Things are never ideal, but this is life, right?

However, each of us faces different challenges, so we asked our fellow working gals around to tell us what the most challenging thing they faced at work was and how they managed to solve it. Read below.

Ashley answered, “My boss didn’t like me -at all.”

“I generally don’t have special issues at work; I was lucky enough to work with amazing people and build a rapport with them in almost every position I worked. So, basically, I didn’t face any particular challenges while trying to climb the career ladder. However, about a couple of years ago, after some time of being unemployed for personal reasons, I decided to start looking for a job, and I landed one quite fast. The scope of work was very okay, as were the salary and benefits, and I felt pretty comfortable working at the office, even though I prefer the hybrid or fully remote model. Anyway, everything looked cool in the beginning until I eventually met my manager. I have never felt such distant vibes ever. They were only a couple of years older than me and had an impressive resume but not remarkable behavior. I justified the cold behavior by thinking that they were my first days here, I was new, and they tried to ‘discipline’ me in some -weird- way. After all, they are my boss; I don’t have any expectations of being BFF with them from day 1. In the meantime, I realized they generally had amazing relationships with the rest of the team —not with me. Even though I am a very sociable and friendly person -as I’m told- I am not expecting to be friends with everyone, but I’m hoping to have a decent relationship with my colleagues and supervisors so the job is done and we all go home happy. But not this time for me. Even though I was performing well and my reviews were more than OK, they never seemed to try to get closer to me. They avoided inviting me to important meetings or filling me up about projects I was leading; they kept information from me, and, in general, they never showed appreciation for me. Our 1-1s were very off; we didn’t ever try to break the ice (while I was trying to do so every day), and everything in our communication was off. I put in 1 year of effort, but I gave up. They would never like me. And the fun fact was that they seemed like a cool and easy going person. 

This ended up being challenging because, frankly, even though my performance was good, I didn’t feel like progressing, considering that your manager is there to guide you and help you move forward and improve. Or not? Anyway, I started looking for another job, and finally, after 1.5 years, I quit and moved to another job. They didn’t even say goodbye. I still think from time to time what I did wrong to deserve such behavior but, at the end of the day, I didn’t have to put up with it. What I should have done, though, was to have an honest conversation with them and be straightforward. It may have helped.”

Angela answered, “Remote work ruined my life.”

”When COVID hit, I was recently employed in a company, working at the office, as most of us. However, we were instructed to work from home when the situation worsened. At first, it was quite a relief since I had a little kid in the house, and, like everyone, I was scared of what could happen and how the pandemic would end. Given that my company didn’t have much experience with remote work, we spent a significant amount of time trying to catch up and find the proper SOPs for the team to be productive and do the job. Some colleagues weren’t tech-savvy and saw that as one of their worst nightmares. I generally am very ok with tech, and, honestly, I learned so many new things and tips, so I didn’t mind working remotely from the coziness of my house. I need to note here that my job is not highly competitive or demanding, so I don’t usually exceed my regular working hours, but I benefit from a generous salary. Long story short, the dream. In the beginning, as I said, we all worked overtime just to familiarize ourselves with the new way of working and ensure that we can still be productive as a team, even though we work far away from each other. I didn’t care much because I had nowhere to go after work, right? The months passed, and the remote work kept going, but life kept going as well, and I found myself working not only overtime but literally double shifts. Given the lack of outdoor activities, I started spending more time in front of the laptop, finishing all the little tasks on my To-Do lists, and promising myself that I would benefit from the double shift during the weekend. But, the work became more and more demanding, the company expanded, and there I was, working almost 18 hours a day, 7 days a week. I started neglecting my family. I barely did anything at home, and despite my husband’s complaints, I got so focused on work that I could barely have a normal conversation with him. And if I decided to pay some attention and he asked about my job, I suddenly picked up my laptop, doing something that occurred to me at that moment. How rude! Yet, this went on for quite some time, and the company decided to keep the remote model post-COVID since it saved thousands from office use, giving us the option to go to the office 1-2 times a week -which was optional. And I didn’t even consider the option. So, I went on working and working and working. I gained a considerable amount of weight since I didn’t move anymore, and I was on the verge of a divorce since my husband couldn’t take any more responsibility for our kid, the household, and everything in between. 

I don’t exactly know what caused that, but when he threatened me with a divorce, I then realized what I had done. I got so into doing my job that I forgot I had a family and a life. The lack of boundaries I put myself into was unimaginable, and I really neglected not only my physical health but my emotional well-being. 

What happened next? Well, I took the option of going to the office at least 2-3 times per week and got home at normal hours. I left the laptop away from my sight, and I never turned it on after hours. By the way, the company had no requirement to do so. I did this to myself. I realized that I am an office person and I operate better in this way. And I saved my family’s well-being as well. I am never going back remote. Never!”

Maria answered, “I was never trained in my new role.”

“When I was hired in my previous position, I had a significant amount of experience in the field but no experience in the specific company, which was pretty different from the previous one. However, while I was interviewing, I mentioned that, and they reassured me that I would receive quite some training before diving into the projects; so far, so good. What they didn’t tell me was that the training would be a handbook of 400 pages and around 4-5 videos to watch. And that’s it. Nothing more; no person to show you or talk to since everyone was extremely busy with their own stuff. It took me a week to finish half the handbook while, at the same time, my To-Do list was piled up with tasks I didn’t even know how to execute, and my managers and colleagues didn’t even spend 5 minutes answering my questions. I felt so frustrated and I was trying to improvise every single day to finish a couple of tasks of the… many. I reached out to my supervisor and they suggested that I pay more attention to the handbook, which, btw, was the worst written thing I have ever read. As a result, in my first trimester, my performance was equal to an intern’s, which, considering my experience, was at least comic. I spent a lot of time after work and tried to find solutions by myself to be able to move forward, but I couldn’t do much without help from more experienced people who actually worked in the specific way that the company works. I get furious when I still think of the indifference they showed regarding the training. They practically paid me for nothing, and I was basically struggling. This seriously harmed my mental health, considering that I’m a very career-driven person, and I felt like I was put on hold without my wanting to. I lasted six months without gaining any experience and without being useful to the company, and then I quit. In my next job, I made it clear that training is very important for me in order to be able to help them, and thankfully, I got amazing training —from real people. Sometimes, I wonder how this company is still operating, considering the extensive lack of training. By chance, I guess?”