Remote Worker’s Hands Shake As She Describes What It’s Like Working For A Micromanaging Boss
No job is worth sacrificing your physical or mental well-being.
Gpoint Studio / Canva Pro It's normal for many of us to experience some anxiety or jitters when we head into work, anticipating what may happen during our shifts. But for people who have overbearing bosses, these nerves are taken to a whole other level.
One woman demonstrated the physical reaction she experiences while working, proving just how bad her anxiety levels reach because of her “micromanaging boss.”
The woman’s hands shook uncontrollably as she described working for her micromanaging boss.
In a TikTok that has been viewed almost 700,000 times, Ciara Ruffalo filmed her hands shaking nonstop to give viewers a glimpse into the stress of her 9-5.
“If you’re curious what it’s like to work remotely under a micromanager, does that say enough?” she said, with one of her trembling hands at the side of her face.
According to Ruffalo, she asked her boss a “simple question," wondering if there was someone who could give her a hand. Her boss responded by “mansplaining” why her needing help was “her fault.” Ruffalo refused to go into further detail, believing that her shaking hands said it all.
Sadly, her reaction was nothing out of the ordinary for overstressed workers.
Work-related stress is a growing phenomenon that is affecting more and more employees in the U.S. and can be caused by various factors.
According to the American Institute of Stress, 83% of American employees suffer from work-related stress, with 25% saying their job is the number one stressor in their lives.
Many workers feel stressed due to unrealistic workloads, lacking work-life balance, concern about job stability, and poor colleague relationships, including difficult bosses like Ruffalo experienced.
Work-related stress can manifest itself in physical symptoms such as trembling, fatigue, headaches, muscle tension, and difficulty sleeping.
Many people encouraged Ruffalo to seek a different job if her boss was inflicting such high levels of stress on her. “Girlie, you gotta get out. Your mental health is worth it,” one TikTok user urged.
Others shared their own experiences in a toxic work environment.
“I had migraines where I lost my vision and they lasted hours. Got a brain MRI thinking it was a tumor, turns out it was stress from a job like that! Prioritize your peace and health and quit!” one user revealed
“I get it. I’ve been there. It’s the worst, I’m so sorry. It took me years to recover but I did get out and find an incredible team and job. There’s hope!” another commenter shared.
In another video, Ruffalo claimed that while she did not have a “dream career” in mind, she never could have imagined how difficult working a 9-5 job would be.
“It’s like us wasting 40 hours of our weeks these days to barely make ends meet,” she said. “I just don’t understand what we’re supposed to be getting from this anymore.”
However, Ruffalo soon realized that she could earn more than a typical salary by selling used items at full price, and she urged others who are suffering the physical effects of their 9-5 jobs to do the same.
She also concluded that in the grand scheme of things, the worries we have while working corporate jobs are not as earth-shattering as our bosses make them out to be.
Sending an email in the incorrect format is not the end of the world; missing a couple of deadlines does not mean the end of your career. Sometimes we may not perform to the best of our abilities, yet the world keeps turning. No job is worth sacrificing our physical and mental well-being.
Some essential steps you should take to avoid work-related stress are taking vacation days and time off to rest and rejuvenate, setting boundaries between work and personal life, and continuing to take care of yourself by maintaining a healthy lifestyle, eating a balanced diet, staying hydrated, and prioritizing sufficient sleep.
Megan Quinn is a writer at YourTango who covers entertainment and news, self, love, and relationships.