I'm having an issue with a new coworker. She is the new addition to my team and has turned out to be the bane of my existence. She is passive-aggressive, complains a lot, is disagreeable, uses micro aggressive statements, & doesn't get along with anyone on the team. Her micro aggressions bother me the most especially when she makes snide comments directed to me that are fat-shaming.
I'm particularly sensitive about my weight right now. Last April, right before my brother died, I was doing so well, and I was 25 pounds lighter. All of the grief plus the other stressors in my life have contributed to my weight gain. I'm miserable. I'm uncomfortable in my body. I'm having a really hard getting off more than two pounds, which I quickly gain back. I know that I will get this under control, but my fat-shaming coworker is making it more challenging for me to get my head on straight.
I'm angry with myself for allowing her to get to me, but she's relentless. My colleagues and I all invested in shades for the windows on our doors. We already keep the doors locked as that is the school protocol. In the morning, we sneak down the hallway to our classrooms hoping she won't hear us arrive, keep the shades down, and work with the lights off until it's time to let the kids in. It's ridiculous, but if we don't do that, she comes to our rooms and spews her negativity wasting our precious time that we need to get ready for the day.
During the day, it's much harder to avoid her as she is right next door to me, and she is on the team that I lead. One of my colleagues refuses to speak to her much less acknowledge her. She unfriended her on Facebook and left our group chat. I try to treat her with respect as a professional. My administrator is aware of her behavior, but not the specifics.
I can't change this coworker's behavior, but I need to try to change how she affects me. Any advice?
