B2 – Upper Intermediate
Working with a boss can be stressful, but some bosses make life much harder. A toxic boss can create anxiety, frustration, and even fear at work. These feelings are common, and they can affect your health and your performance.
In this article, we will look at eight ways anxiety can show up when you have a toxic boss, so you can understand your feelings and find ways to cope.
Read this article to learn more.
https://www.huffpost.com/entry/toxic-boss-anxiety-goog_l_69a07b2ce4b059e1adf278e0
Vocabulary Questions:
- What does “to feel on edge” mean? “You frequently feel on edge and irritable.” Use this in a sentence.
- What is the meaning of “to lash out at someone“? “You may find yourself choosing your words extremely carefully and speaking up less in meetings out of fear that they will lash out at you.” Make a sentence with this.
- What does it mean when “sh*t hits the fan“? “‘Oftentimes, the dread that you feel when you wake up for the day is about, ‘Is today the day that sh*t hits the fan?” Use this in a sentence.
Discussion Questions:
- What are some physical signs of anxiety that the article says people might feel because of a toxic boss? How do these show that stress affects both mind and body?
- How can constant stress from a bad boss affect relationships outside of work, like family or friends?
- In your country, how common do you think it is for people to have a boss who creates stress, and why?
- What are healthy ways people can cope with work stress or anxiety caused by difficult people?
- What could governments or workplaces do to reduce the number of toxic bosses and protect workers’ mental health?