Just realized my 'fine' answer at work is a real problem

For about six months, I've been saying 'I'm fine' in every team meeting when my boss asks how things are going. The truth is I've been covering for a coworker who misses deadlines, which adds about 10 hours to my week. I kept smiling and acting like it was no big deal because I didn't want to cause drama. Last week, my boss pulled me aside and said he could see I was stressed and asked for the real story. Laying it all out actually got us a plan to fix the workload. Has anyone else found that pretending everything is okay just makes a bad situation last longer?

3 comments

3 Comments

emma_flores1d ago

Yeah, took you six months to figure out the "I'm fine" lie never works.

the_taylor1d ago

Ugh, I'm a slow learner. I kept thinking "this time it'll work" like an idiot. Finally hit my limit of pretending everything's okay.

the_thea1d ago

That "I'm fine" lie is like putting a band-aid on a broken pipe. It feels like you're handling it in the moment, but the pressure just builds up underneath until everything bursts. Speaking up is the only way to actually stop the leak.