Hi Zoe,

I hate situations like this. You sound like a good, intelligent woman who is probably really good at your job. I don’t understand when power and drama have to be put between the work that you do.  Management wants us to do good work, and these types of unnecessary drama prevents us from doing good work.

Maybe this feeling is a sign that you should find another job, but there is definitely a balance in the job search and enjoying your free time. Just imagine having a job where you can actually be happy at the end of the day. When my job situation was in question I got a lot of pleasure out of going on Craigslist at the end of the end of the day and just seeing all the possibilities that are out there, and then perhaps choosing one “great” job, and then thinking about the cover letter the next day, really honing it throughout the morning, applying to one a day. Focus on the hope of a fresh start and all the possibilities that are out there and not the drama as much as possible.

In the meantime, I find the most happiness by pretty much ignoring all drama. Just not responding to dramatic exchanges as much as possible, not inserting ourselves into the drama.