Managing Emotions At Work
There are those known in the workplace for their ‘level head’ and then there are those known for their ‘not-so-level-head’. Emotions are a part of being human but you have to ‘manage’ emotions in the workplace while maintaining your dignity, team relations, satisfaction and productivity in your work.
While working, people constantly move from one emotional state to another and some emotions present an extra challenge when we encounter them. The five common, hard-to-handle emotions in the workplace are:
- Fear (and anxiety) – most often stemming from change or impending change.
- Anger – can result from perceived unfairness in the workplace.
- Depression – either from personal issues at home or resulting from feelings of not being recognised or being overloaded. Can require professional treatment if left unchecked.
- Guilt – feelings of inadequacy and not living up to the role or the expectations of the role.
- Insecurity (which can lead to jealousy) – often stems from a fear of being excluded.
Ways to manage your emotions at work
Recognise your emotions in their early stage, before they feel out of control.
Review and understand the source of the difficult feelings you just experienced. Writing these down can help.
Learn to express your emotions in appropriate ways.
If you feel angry, for example, take time to consider what triggered this and actions you could take to diffuse such a situation in the future. You don’t need to pretend you’re not feeling the way you are, but you do need to deal with the emotions so that they do not affect your interactions with others.
Give appropriate feedback to clear the air.
For example, if a co-worker has said something in a meeting that offended you, talk with the person about it. Focus on what was said or done without attacking the person individually remember, it’s never appropriate to yell at or demean others.
Remember how you managed a problem in the past.
Consider how you overcame a similar problem in the past. What worked? What didn’t work?
Seek support from a professional.
Talking to a professional can help you gain perspective on problems and come up with solutions as well as specific techniques that will help you manage your emotions more effectively.
Build up your emotional resilience.
Pay attention to your overall physical and psychological health. Eat well, get enough sleep and exercise regularly – you’ll have more energy to meet emotional challenges.
Maintain support systems outside of work.
Talk honestly with close friends and family about your concerns to keep perspective.
Cultivate interests outside of work.
Not all satisfaction comes from work accomplishments! Find activities and hobbies that help you relax, have fun and take your mind off work.
Learning to deal with emotions and problems before they become overwhelming can encourage a happier workplace with better team participants and, most importantly, an increased sense of control and effectiveness in our lives – both inside and outside of work.
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