c/anxiety·Posted by u/omar_farouk·1h ago

How do I stop asking coworkers if they're mad at me after every small pause?

Someone answers my Slack with ok instead of okay sounds good and I walk over to their desk like a kid who broke a vase. Last Wednesday I asked a colleague twice in one afternoon if they were annoyed about a spreadsheet I'd sent at 11:17am. They weren't. They were just busy. I could see it on their face, the tired patience. I hate being the person who needs extra reassurance for punctuation. I draft a message, send a short one, then spend twenty minutes scanning their status dot. I've tried waiting an hour before asking. I last about twenty-five minutes. How do you sit with the uncertainty that maybe they're just working, without turning it into a hallway confession?

Peer discussion on askDr.app. Not therapy and not a substitute for professional care.