Woman With Social Anxiety Tries To Make Friends With Coworkers By Bringing Donuts To Work — She's The Only One Who Ends Up Eating Them
Her effort to become friendly with her colleagues didn't work out the way she had hoped.
@downtownnabbyyagain / TikTok A woman revealed the kind gesture she tried with her coworkers in an attempt to make friends but was saddened when her efforts backfired. In a TikTok video, Abby explained that she has social anxiety and finds it really hard to make friends, especially with her coworkers. She attempted to turn that around and came up with a sweet solution to hopefully show her coworkers that she was making an effort to be friendly.
She brought a box of donuts to work, but none of her coworkers bothered to eat any or thank her.
"I bought donuts to work to try and make friends, and I'm the only one who's eaten two of them," Abby began in her video. She panned the camera to show the box of Dunkin Donuts that she had brought for her colleagues, and all of the donuts were still there except for the ones she had eaten.
Abby, who explained that she has social anxiety, stitched her original video and admitted that she eventually quit that job. "So I quit that job," she informed viewers. "I'm really not kidding when I say my social anxiety is f---ing up there."
According to the National Institute of Health, an estimated 12.1% of U.S. adults experience social anxiety disorder at some time in their lives. People with social anxiety often fear rejection and negative opinions from others. This fear can be so overwhelming that they can avoid social interactions altogether, including attempting to make new friends.
It doesn't help that Abby's choice to try and come out of her shell was met with a cold response from her colleagues who, on top of not eating the donuts, didn't even offer a small hint of gratitude for Abby going out of her way to try and be friendly.
Unfortunately, many working adults have found that they are forced to do their jobs in toxic work environments. Per a recent poll by The Muse, 64% of respondents have experienced a toxic work environment, and 44% blamed leadership. Not just their direct manager, but the entire leadership team. In a toxic environment, employees may feel that they cannot trust or bond with their colleagues or superiors. A lack of support can lead to feelings of isolation and a sense of not being valued or appreciated, which can contribute to unhappiness at work.
Many people sympathized with Abby's considerate olive branch to try and make friends at work.
"Anyone who brings donuts to make friends is the best type of human. I would've had a couple and brought you, my new friend, something in return," one TikTok user wrote. Another user added, "Try having a boss who prevents you [from] talking to anyone in the office. I’ve been here a year and don’t have a single coworker friend."
"Stay strong, there’s always something better out there work and colleagues. They probably didn’t deserve you anyway," a third user pointed out.
Toxic work environments can have a significant impact on an employee's well-being and happiness, leading to feelings of isolation. Such environments can make it even more challenging for individuals like Abby, who already struggle with social anxiety, to navigate and engage with their coworkers.
Nia Tipton is a Chicago-based entertainment, news, and lifestyle writer whose work delves into modern-day issues and experiences.