As humans, we are emotional beings. It is difficult for us as humans not to be emotional. While it is generally beneficial to be in touch with our emotions and not suppress them, there are some situations in which we must manage our emotions well at work.
Emotional outbursts at work could be caused by work-related issues or by stressors from our personal lives spilling over into our work lives. Handling our emotions (especially negative ones) at work is frequently regarded as a test of our professionalism.
According to one study, the most common negative emotions at work are frustration, worry, anger, dislike, and unhappiness.
Strategies to manage negative emotions at work courtesy of LinkedIn
1. Compartmentalize
- Try and leave personal matters and problems at home. Use your commute to work, to free your mind.
- Some find it helpful to mentally ‘store/lock up” the issue in a box for the time being.
- You can also compartmentalize work-related stressors so that your emotions at work don’t spill over into your personal life too.
2. Use the 10 second rule
- This is especially useful if you are feeling angry, frustrated or irritated.
- If you notice your temper rising, try counting to 10 to compose yourself.
- If possible, excuse yourself from the situation to get some distance but do reassure the other party that you will return to deal with the matter.
3. Never reply or make a decision when angry
- In this day of instant communication, it’s easy to send an email or text that you may regret later.
- Never let your anger or dissatisfaction cloud your judgement.
- Keep all communication to a minimum while you are still angry. You can type it first but save it as a draft and sit on it for a day. Re-read it the next day or have someone you trust look at it before you send it.
4. Clarify
It is good to clarify before reacting, in the event that it could be a simple misunderstanding or miscommunication.
Also see: Quiet Thriving: The new workplace trend we should be channeling
