You might as well not complain about your job

And this is why

The printer that hasn't had ink since the beginning of this year. That one colleague who is always late and leaves first. And then that lunch that is inedible and that you also have to pay for yourself. Working is not always a laugh.

But sitting at your desk with a thundercloud over your face whining about how miserable this and previous workdays are: it's not such a great plan. Although it might feel relieving.

Because complaining about your job is quite detrimental to you. Not only because you don't exactly endear yourself to your boss, but also because your work itself doesn't improve. Moping about your tasks and crying out that you can't wait until you again holiday have ensures that you are less productive. How do we know this? In America, some scientists have looked into it. They had employees fill out questionnaires and the results are telling. It is precisely the people who openly express their dissatisfaction who worked with less concentration. They were more easily distracted and completed their work less often.

It's also quite logical. Because by complaining you waste a lot of precious energy. If you constantly grumble that everything is wrong at work and that your day is a bad day, it costs you the necessary energy. This indeed leaves less less energy for other tasks. For example, there is less room for pleasant contact with colleagues and clients, and well, that all contributes to your work suffering. Complaining also includes gossiping, you know. When you whine to this and that person about what someone else said, it puts you in awkward positions. Of course, not every moment is rosy and sometimes someone is just annoying. But do pay attention to the distribution throughout the day. Do you whine and gossip more than you ‘just’ chat with your colleagues? Then alarm bells should start ringing.

So put on that party hat and laugh your head off during that weekly meeting. Then you can handle any deadline.

FACTS

• Looking for a new job? There are about 204,000 vacancies open in the Netherlands
• If you work 40 hours a week, you are entitled to 20 vacation days per year
• On average, people work 6.2 hours a week from home