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Controlling Your Emotions in the Workplace

As human beings, it is hard for us, not to be emotional. It is generally good to be emotional in certain situations of life. But if you’re not able to control personal emotions and recognise emotional signals in the workplace, it can be damaging.

It could be a conflict between you and your best friend, or your colleague, or it could be you feeling down for some other reason, your presentation which got cancelled after hard work. There can be many reasons, which can make you feel bad.

When we are at home, we can manage bad emotions quite effectively, but when it comes to emotions in the workplace, it becomes a challenge. If we manage our emotions, we deal better with the changes and challenges that our jobs give us.

The question is: how can you become better at handling your emotions, and “choosing” your reactions to bad situations? In this article, we look at the most common negative emotions and how to manage them effectively.

  1. Anger

Out-of-control anger is perhaps the most destructive emotion that people experience in the workplace. This is the emotion which most of us can’t handle very well. If you have trouble managing your temper at work, then learning to control it is one of the best things you can do if you want to keep your job.

If you’re experience anger in the workplace, try these techniques:

  • Watch for early signs of wrath. Preventing this emotion is the main thing. Note that, it depends on you how you choose to react upon a situation. Remember, if your first instinct is to become angry, it doesn’t mean it’s the correct response.
  • If you’re getting angry, stop what you’re doing. Close your eyes, and practice the deep-breathing exercise. This interrupts the angry thoughts, and it helps put you back on a more positive path.
  • Picture yourself when you’re angry. If you imagine how you look and behave, it gives you some perspective on the situation.
  1. Dislike

In a workspace, it is common to have someone we don’t like. We work with many different kinds of people who have diverse backgrounds and personalities. From time to time, we find ourselves to be working closely with someone whom we don’t like from a personal viewpoint.

Here are some ideas for working with people whom you don’t like:

  • Treat everyone with respect as that’s the way you would like to be treated.
  • You don’t have to end up as friends, but you can find a better way to communicate and work together, without hurting anyone.
  • If the other person is rude or unprofessional, refuse to be treated that way. But express your feelings calmly.
  • Accept the fact that you can’t get on with everyone in the workplace.
  1. Frustration

Frustration is one of the most common negative emotions. Usually, it occurs when you feel stuck or unable to move forward in some way.

Whatever might be the reason, it’s essential to cope with feelings of frustration before it turns chronic. Otherwise, it can lead to more negative emotions like anger, which is much-hared to control.

Here are some tips on how to handle frustration in the workplace.

  • Evaluate the situation by asking yourself why you are frustrated but be specific. Then think of at least one positive thing about the current situation.
  • Talk about your problems with a superior. Let them know about your concerns so that they can do something to address them.
  • Remember the last you get frustrated, most probably the situation worked out fine after a while. Your feelings of frustration or irritation probably didn’t do much to solve the problem then, which means they’re not doing anything for you right now.
  1. Unhappiness

Dealing with unhappiness at work can be difficult. Of all the emotions you might feel at work, these are the most likely to impact your productivity. If you’ve suffered a big disappointment, your energy will probably be down.

Here are some proactive steps you can take to cope with unhappiness:

  • Identify the problem which is making you unhappy. Write down what is making you feel bad. Then, try to brainstorm ways to solve the problem.
  • Relook into your goals. If needed, readjust them.
  • Look at your mindset. Take a moment to realise that sometimes bad things happen, but you can overcome them and become stronger.
  • Smile! It is strange, but forcing a smile onto your face can often make you feel happy. Try it – you may be surprised!
  1. Worry

At some level, most of us know that worrying doesn’t accomplish much. But, change, and the feeling of loss of control can often trigger worries. It makes us feel nervous and insecure at work, and this affects our self-confidence.

Here some techniques you can do to cope with this unpleasant feeling:

  • Don’t surround yourself with worry and anxiety. Worrying tends to lead to more worrying.
  • Try deep-breathing exercises. This helps slow your breathing and your heart rate. Breathe in slowly for five seconds, then breathe out slowly for five seconds.
  • Focus on how to improve the situation
  • Write down your worries. You can also schedule a time to deal with them.

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