ARE YOU LOSING IT?

Women who get in a temper are seen as less competent by their colleagues, according to a Yale University study. When people can't cope with anxiety it turns to aggression and hostility. In some cases, people may have been verbally abusive to colleagues or a boss -- swearing at and insulting them -- or they may have found themselves on the brink of physical assault. It's usually at that point they give themselves a fright and seek help. But "desk rage" doesn't just mean extreme cases -- it include the times when tiny things trigger fury. Six in ten of those questioned said their irritation at work started when they walked into the office and colleagues didn't bother to say good morning. Psychotherapist Lucy Beresford says: 'I knew someone who was so incensed that all the milk had been used, they went round cutting the heads off office plants.

Recognize Your Rage
Workers vent their anger in three different ways, says anger therapist Mike Fisher.

The Blunderbuss
This type of person vents on inanimate objects, kicking the photocopier or slamming doors for example. They have trained themselves not to vent at other people -- but they don't realize the effect they are having on those around them.

The Intimidator
if you are one of these, you scream and shout and hurl abuse. These people are often in management, so they get away with it.

The Passive-Aggressive
These don't scream and kick but vent their feelings by spending their days on Twitter or Facebook, stealing stationery and crying off work early.

A former colleague, who was otherwise a lovely person, threw his phone across the room all the time, if even the smallest thing went wrong. So why do gentle characters turn into the Incredible Hulk at their desk? A big factor is the sheer number of hours we are at work. We spend more time with our colleagues than our family, so of course colleagues' ways are going to grate. Endlessly ringing phones or crashing internet systems add to the torture. And some people arrive at work after looking after babies all night or having had a blazing row with their partner. So it's no surprise the office can be a hotbed of tension.

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