Every office has that one person.
The one who wears stress like a badge of honour.
“My job is very hard oo.”
“I don’t sleep.”
“I’m always tired.”
“If you see my workload, you’ll cry.”
Somehow, the more difficult the job sounds, the more respect they think it deserves.
But when did work become a suffering competition?
Somewhere along the line, we started glorifying struggle instead of fulfilment. We started equating exhaustion with importance and stress with success. If you’re not overwhelmed, then maybe your job isn’t serious enough.
But here’s the truth we don’t like to admit:
Your job is not meant to break you before it validates you.
Yes, work can be demanding. Deadlines will chase you. People will test your patience. Targets will stretch you. That part is normal. No job is easy, whether you’re a customer service executive, a software engineer, a teacher, a marketer, or a manager.
Every job is hard.
The difference lies in the type of hard you choose. A job you’re suited for will still be challenging, but it will stretch you, not suffocate you. It will demand effort, not constant suffering. You’ll be tired, yes, but you’ll also feel a sense of fulfilment when things come together.
That’s why every role has specific requirements. Not to intimidate you. Not to gatekeep opportunities. But to ensure that the person hired can excel. When skills match responsibilities, work becomes purposeful. When strengths align with expectations, “hard” becomes manageable. When you understand your role, you’re able to find smarter, easier ways to do the work, not because you’re lazy, but because growth demands efficiency.
So when someone says, “My job is difficult,” the next question should be:
What are you doing to make it easier?
Are you learning new skills?
Are you improving your processes?
Are you asking better questions?
Are you setting boundaries?
Are you using the tools available to you?
Fulfilment doesn’t mean the absence of difficulty. It means the presence of meaning.
If your work drains you, constantly overwhelms you, and leaves you empty with nothing to show for it, it may be time to reassess.
Not every “hard” is worth choosing.
Choose the hard that grows you.
Choose the hard that teaches you.
Choose the hard that still allows you to recognise yourself at the end of the day.
Because work should challenge you, not consume you.
Gene’s Office Survival Tip:
Stop romanticising struggle. A job that fits you will still be hard, but it won’t steal your joy. Work smart, grow intentionally, and remember, you didn’t come to the office to suffer; you came to thrive.
This is the Office Buzz! Work Culture and everything in between.
Share this with that colleague who needs to read this.
