I have a mad crush on a co-worker (she’s married so nothing will happen), I can’t leave the job because of the high pay, I feel like a school boy with this.
Any ideas ?
Listen to This American Life, episode 674 Get a Spine. The first act is Dan Harmon’s apology to a colleague with whom he “fell in love” with and then proceeded to make her life hell. Get a Spine! - This American Life
Remember, it’s not her fault how you feel, lots of people have inappropriate thoughts and feelings, but adults manage how they act. Get over it and find someone appropriate to have romantic feelings for; I know that sounds trite, but it is the only answer.
I couldn’t think straight, I couldn’t complete tasks, I couldn’t meet deadlines. I got over it, and fell in love with someone. Then I really got fucked.
Kinda nasty, don’t you think? The dude’s asking for coping strategies, which is a grown up thing to do.
I’ve never known “get over it” or “grow up” to help anyone in that situation, child or adult. A crush is by its nature not eternal. It’s not falling in love, which would require a deeper relationship than you have or can hope to have. Try not to feed it. That is, don’t find excuses to be where she is, even though the crush will be urging you to do this. Crushes tend to idealize, so look for her faults. (If you can’t find any, your crush is the fictitious version of her you have in your head and not the woman, herself.)
Finally, ask yourself what qualities, physical or otherwise, she has that you find so beguiling. Then get out there and look for someone with those same qualities. Or with other attractive qualities. But get out there.
And best of luck.
Do you work with Natalie Morales?
If you want to stay at the job with the high pay, you will, at all times, be professional and civil. Under no circumstance are you to let her know in any way, shape, or form that you think of her as anything other than a valued colleague.
Then go find someone else outside work.
I definitely agree with all of this.
When I was in my 20s, I twice developed pretty intense crushes on colleagues. In both cases, I only felt that way for a fairly short time, though the crushes definitely made meetings where the objects of my crushes were present uncomfortable for me. In time, the intensity of the crushy feelings faded, and in neither case did it turn into a long-term problem for me.
ivylass’s advice is spot on, for a ton of reasons, including your own job security.
What nelliebly said is what worked for me. I just kept reminding myself of the incompatibilities between us that would make a relationship impossible, and eventually I got past it. Good luck.
And on preview, ivylass’s advice is spot on as well.
Oh dear God, this! The crushee may even be a bit turned on by your attentions and encourage you. Or if management finds out and forbids any contact that isn’t work related or is outside work, she may take it personally and get mad at you for not wanting to get fired. [/voice of sad experience]
Fixate on the negative attributes. Notice the not perfect. But keep it all to yourself.
I once heard* a good tactic to get over someone is always imagine a bad smell, or that they smell badly. She’ll be out of your mind in no time!
*This is no shit. Some kind of study. Heard it on a radio program.
Nothing like a good fart to put the kibosh on a crush. Maybe suggest bean burritos for office lunch? 
Your new mantra should be, “Just calm down! This will pass, I just need to wait it out!”
Say nothing and do nothing that is even the least unprofessional to her. When you start having distracting thoughts about her, shove a straightened paper clip under one of your fingernails until it draws blood. After a while, the crush will fade.
Dude, just don’t. Maybe sign up to dating website. Get your mind off her.
I meant the crush, itself, not the crushee. Yours is a POV I hadn’t considered. Yikes, sounds like you were in a messy situation!
I know you’re never going to listen to that podcast, but here are some money quoutes:
A second second of this.
Hollywood Squares circa 1973:
Peter Marshall: How does one keep from falling in love with one’s neighbor’s wife?
Paul Lynde: By looking at his neighbor’s gun collection.
The actual answer was, avoid seeing her.