“I made many mistakes at work” — 26 y/o worker seeks help for coping with setbacks

SINGAPORE: After making many mistakes at work, an online user took to a forum on Thursday (Jan 16) to ask Singaporeans how they deal with bad work days. “The past two weeks haven’t been the best for me,” he wrote. “I made many mistakes at work, some of which were difficult to let go of because it was an honest oversight.”

However, despite a stressful week, the writer shared some advice he had previously received. “But one of the best pieces of advice I was given (especially as a people pleaser) is that people/colleagues/bosses do not go home remembering that you made a mistake; they don’t go home angry. They go home to their families happy! So don’t let it affect you all too much. A little is fine because it shows you care about your job but let it hurt for a day or two. You’ll be just fine.”

A handful of other seasoned employees took to the post’s comments section to share their insights.

“You go to work to earn,” said one. “It’s okay to please people, but don’t let it bother you if it doesn’t go your way. Don’t ever bring your work back home. Leave it. Go home, distress, have a pint and sleep it off. If the mistakes don’t lead to firing, then no worries. Keep trying to strive for better.”

Others shared their personal favourites for coping with bad days in the workplace, from refraining from apologising too much to turning to coffee for a pick-me-up.

“One thing I sometimes do to help is to get myself a nicer cup of coffee from a café instead of the office’s coffee machine. It’s my way of treating myself for getting through a tough day/week,” said another. “Doesn’t need to be pricey, just something nice that you don’t normally get to have/do.”

“I understand where you’re coming from; we’ve all made mistakes at work and take them seriously,” said a third. “I won’t tell you to let it go immediately, but remember not to repeat the same mistake. Keep it in mind for a week or so, then let it go—holding onto it too long could lead to further mistakes. All the best!”