If you maintain this kind of professional appearance at all times, you should have nothing to fear about being sidelined. Yes, your boss may be wondering if your sudden tight-lipped attitude is a sign that you’re up to something, but realistically she has enough on her plate with all of the problems you’ve highlighted, and she will be grateful that you appear to have accepted the status quo and stopped complaining about everything.

Then it’s important to start your job hunting with complete discretion. Don’t get caught out staring at job adverts on your work screen, updating your CV or being overheard talking to recruiters on the phone. You’re doing nothing wrong by aiming to leave a bad situation, but it’s best not to rub your boss’s face in it. Don’t forget, you’ll need her to maintain her positive view of you if a future employer seeks a reference from her.

You have nothing to lose by continuing as I suggest until something significant changes – when you either land a new job or the problems you’re currently experiencing are resolved. You don’t need to fret or spiral about what has happened up to now as you’ve done absolutely nothing wrong. The challenge for you will be keeping up professional appearances while embarking on job hunting. You’ll be kept so busy working diligently, while simultaneously firing off job applications and preparing for interviews, that you won’t have time or energy to feel the same level of frustration as you do now. You might be surprised to discover that keeping your emotions under wraps for a while will help to dampen down your anxieties. Sometimes silence really is the best policy.

Honest Boss: “I told my boss I’m looking for another job and now I’m spiralling. Help!”