Gossip is like a contagion that is common in many collectives. Some of them can be completely harmless, while others can ruin a person's life. If unpleasant rumors have spread about you, try to cope with it with minimal losses for yourself.
Instructions
Step 1
Try to find out who became the author of the gossip about you, and think about why he did it. Perhaps inadvertently you offended this person without knowing it: you took the project he was counting on, got the position he dreamed of, or you just ate the last cookie from the shared kitchen. Understanding what triggered the gossip will allow you to be less tormented by the question "why are they doing this to me." In addition, if you wish, you can try to make peace, for example, by bringing a new box of cookies to the "victim".
Step 2
When you hear an incredible story about yourself, don't panic. Your violent emotional reaction will further anger the gossipers and will likely make them think there is more truth in the story if you do so. If the above touches you strongly, it is better to experience unpleasant emotions alone. Wash your face, catch your breath, be aware of what you have heard, and only then return to the team. People will not notice your confusion, and next time you will be prepared and will not react so violently.
Step 3
If you have been told rumors circulating about you, let the other people know that they are absurd. “It's nice to learn something new about myself”, “Well, I must, but it seemed to me that I had a rather boring beach vacation”, “Did I hook up with this employee? I will know, otherwise they told me that he wrote a letter of resignation a month before I came to the firm. Be discreet, calm, and benevolent, and gossipers will start to question whether it makes sense to waste time and spread rumors about you that do not cause you any reaction, and they are not portrayed in the best light.
Step 4
Bring the gossip around you to the point of absurdity. If a colleague inadvertently wonders if it is true that on vacation in an exotic country you had an affair with as many as two representatives of the local population, feel free to increase their number to ten, add camels and other domestic animals. At some point, the interlocutor will understand that you are mocking him, and he will have suspicions about the authenticity of the original rumor. And you will cheer yourself up.
Step 5
There are many sayings about gossip and the people that figure in it. If there are rumors about you, remind yourself that the authors are probably jealous of you, and that your life is so interesting that people around you talk about it. This will allow you to increase your self-esteem and be less sensitive to stories about you.
