Have you ever wanted to say this to a boss? With three out of every four people reporting their boss is the most stressful part of their job - turns out there's plenty of reasons to think about saying it!
There's even proven medical benefits to just thinking about the idea of swearing at your boss. Provided we don't do it too frequently studies show swearing can be a great source of pain relief. Mix it with a bit of humor and it can actually jolt your brain into more creative, expansive and tolerant thinking spaces making you a much better problem solver when it comes to dealing with your bad boss.
Just try it! Think about the most difficult, ungrateful, unkind person you ever had the misfortune of working for. Now imagine confronting them and with the gentlest of tones and telling them, with the greatest respect, to go f*** themselves. I bet you're already smiling.
Here's the truth of the matter.
It takes most of around 22 months to free ourselves of a bad boss. During this time the constant stress and negativity of dealing with them day-after-day, week-after-week and month-after-month causes shift our brain towards anxiety or depression, it also wears down our immune system leaving us at risk of more colds, diseases, strokes and even heart attacks.
It's not just our health that's at risk. Not surprisingly when we're consistently stressed and anxious we don't perform as well at work, getting fewer pay rises and promotions. We also take our bad mood to home to the people who love as most and wind up damaging our relationships.
A bad boss should never be tolerated. It costs too much.
The good news is you aren't helpless. The world needs better bosses so get real about what you're putting up with and try some proven, practical ways of fighting back to create win-win outcomes for you, your boss and your organization. Check these out:
Michelle McQuaid is the author of 5 Reasons To Tell Your Boss To Go F**k Themselves: How Positive Psychology Can Help You Get What You Want [Michelle McQuid, $15.00].