Hi again and welcome back to the savvy psychologist. I'm your host Dr Ellen

Hendrickson and as you can hear I have a cold but the show must go on, so every week, this one included, I'll help you meet

life's challenges with evidence-based research, a sympathetic ear, and zero judgment.

Now unless you had magical childhood luck or were homeschooled

in the wilderness you probably tangled with a mean girl or bully back in the day.

Unfortunately mean girls and bullies grow up and go to work, or you might just encounter them again

just without the lockers and swirleys this time around.

Therefore, this week we'll talk about nine tips to deal with workplace bullying.

Unfortunately, grown up Queen Bee and bullying behavior remains the same as the dark days of junior

high. It systematically targets a colleague with the

intention to intimidate, undermine, or degrade. And the same tricks get recycled

too. Gossip, sabotage, exclusion, public shaming, and many other deliberate behaviors.

Bullying takes a real and profound toll on stress levels, self-confidence, and if the bullying

is prolonged and unfettered even our grasp on reality.

So what to do?

Well, tip number one is trust, it's not your fault.

Sometimes bullying can be so covert and insidious that we start to question ourselves.

You might wonder, am I really the least valuable contributor to this project?

Am I somehow inviting this torment by being too quiet, too outspoken, to fill in the blank?

Rest assured, you didn't ask for this.

You never would have invited being subjected to unfounded criticism, overt exclusion, or targeted gossip that

pokes holes in your self-esteem and confidence.

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