This past week was an unusual one... In a good way! Last Monday was the final day for the junior person in my office - a big source of my misophonia triggers. The rest of the week felt a bit strange... I can't say why, since I've been alone in the office before when she took a week off here and there for vacation. It was just so heavenly to not have to cope with her eating triggers or scramble to put on my earbuds to mask some of the other triggers she created. Maybe internally I was experiencing a sense of renewed peacefulness knowing she won't be coming back.
The past week was less stressful in not having to deal with her additude when she couldn't comprehend why I wore my earbuds. Never mind the fact that I only put them on when she would trigger my misophonia, but not once did I ever ask her to stop. My reasoning is that she had just as much of a right to eat at her desk or do the other things that would create trigger sounds, so I would cope as best as I could without asking her to change. It's a shame she never truly understood the compromises I made so as not to impose on her work environment. I never once requested that she alter her actions to stop making trigger sounds. Yet she had no qualms telling me off when my wearing earbuds meant she had to get off her butt and walk the 10' to my desk instead of being able to speak to me from across the room.
I can't say the week was completely trigger-free though. Typically I like to keep the interior door to the office open, which usually isn't an issue since the only other unit on the floor is a person's condo. This past week though the condo was having renovation work done so they kept their door open and often the contractors would be in the hall whistling. (Man... Between creative people fidgeting and contractors always whistling on job sites, sometimes I feel like I chose the wrong profession for my condition.) Oh well. I don't think I'll ever be in a trigger-free environment. I'll always have to deal with triggers as best as I can with whatever the situation presents.
My time alone at the office will be short lived though... A new summer intern is starting tomorrow and she seems very sweet. It will be interesting to see if the trigger-free office will remain that way.
Wishing you all a memorious Memorial Day.
The past week was less stressful in not having to deal with her additude when she couldn't comprehend why I wore my earbuds. Never mind the fact that I only put them on when she would trigger my misophonia, but not once did I ever ask her to stop. My reasoning is that she had just as much of a right to eat at her desk or do the other things that would create trigger sounds, so I would cope as best as I could without asking her to change. It's a shame she never truly understood the compromises I made so as not to impose on her work environment. I never once requested that she alter her actions to stop making trigger sounds. Yet she had no qualms telling me off when my wearing earbuds meant she had to get off her butt and walk the 10' to my desk instead of being able to speak to me from across the room.
I can't say the week was completely trigger-free though. Typically I like to keep the interior door to the office open, which usually isn't an issue since the only other unit on the floor is a person's condo. This past week though the condo was having renovation work done so they kept their door open and often the contractors would be in the hall whistling. (Man... Between creative people fidgeting and contractors always whistling on job sites, sometimes I feel like I chose the wrong profession for my condition.) Oh well. I don't think I'll ever be in a trigger-free environment. I'll always have to deal with triggers as best as I can with whatever the situation presents.
My time alone at the office will be short lived though... A new summer intern is starting tomorrow and she seems very sweet. It will be interesting to see if the trigger-free office will remain that way.
Wishing you all a memorious Memorial Day.
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