Painful workplace noises

I work in an office for my job and it’s OK except sometimes the financial aspects get too much for me sometimes but basically the problem I have got is this. There is a colleague and she also works where I work and she just is such an attention seeker. It grinds my gears really. Why does she do it? She is always doing this sort of thing –

Making noises and looking my way as if for approval. Approval for what? I don’t know. Do you? I don’t!

Sighing as if that gives some sort of legitimacy to her activities

Weird ‘cackles’

Can I stop this? Should I raise it with the boss guy? I don’t want hatred in the workplace but I just can’t cope any more.

I really sympathise with you as its so difficult working in close proximity with annoying people.

Unfortunately she is unlikely to change her personality. And my experience is that talking to people like that about the situation makes it worse.

I would only go to your boss if you have a potential solution. Is there another desk further away from her that you can sit? or perhaps you could get a board to put up between your desks? Then you can say 'x sometimes distracts me from my work, I would like to y and z'.

There are ways to make people realise their effect they have on others without direct confrontation verbally (that includes writing) and physically

UPDATE

I snapped last week and called her all sorts of names. Boss demanded to know why and I spilled all beans shall we say.

Am now sitting next to a really lovely man called Mathew.

UPDATE

I snapped last week and called her all sorts of names. Boss demanded to know why and I spilled all beans shall we say.

Am now sitting next to a really lovely man called Mathew.

He's not the bloke you keep meeting in the toilet is he?

Some days at work I can't concentrate because I can't block out other people's conversations. It really gets to me some days. It's worse when people are being negative and complaining, sometimes I just wish I could tell them to shut up. Maybe one day I'll snap and I will

I sometimes have to stick my headphones on...sitting at a desk where people are having conversations over your head all the time sometimes gets a bit annoying.

Headphones and music are the key if you're allowed to do that in your office

I sometimes have to stick my headphones on...sitting at a desk where people are having conversations over your head all the time sometimes gets a bit annoying.

 

Headphones and music are the key if you're allowed to do that in your office

I'm not allowed music

I have in the past got up and walked away when people have decided to stand next to my desk and have conversations (loudly) directly over my head. I don't know if they noticed

I use ear plugs - they are amazing when you need to concentrate, or when someone decides to host a 4 hour teleconference from their desk phone !

They've caught on and quite a few people use them now :)

Why is there a problem?

Talk. Explain, and remember, it's not what you say, it's the way you say it.

UPDATE

I snapped last week and called her all sorts of names. Boss demanded to know why and I spilled all beans shall we say.

Am now sitting next to a really lovely man called Mathew.

WOW thats clever, i will have to remember that one:love: