How to Deal With Emotions at Work

Congratulations, you're human if you've ever experienced feelings at work. Recognize that feeling emotional at work is normal and acceptable, regardless of the source of those feelings. You wouldn't be human if you never felt anything about your work, even if there is a time and a place for expressing these emotions.

You probably care a lot about your job and your performance, so it makes sense that being let down by either could make you feel bad. In addition, working consumes about a quarter of our waking hours. It's not shocking that our occupations can have an impact on our mental health, or that we might experience feelings related to events outside of work when we're on the clock.

Acknowledge Them

Hear what it has to say. It's common to experience a feeling physically before giving it a name. Is your cheeks flushed and your pulse quickening? You might be more worried than you think.

If at all possible, refrain from making choices when experiencing strong negative emotions. Anxiety impairs our ability to make decisions, according to studies.

Learn the Company Culture

The corporate culture of each business is unique, and some may be more emotionally fragile than others. Your CEO probably doesn't need to know about your breakup, even if you work for a company where addressing emotions is encouraged. 

Find a Safe Person

In a perfect world, it wouldn't be out of the question to talk about your emotions with a coworker. We acknowledge, however, that this is not true of all colleagues. Locate a reliable colleague who you can talk to about your frustrations with work when you need to.

Model Emotional Openness

If you're in a managerial or leadership role, you have the power to set the tone and foster an atmosphere where everyone feels safe voicing their opinions and ideas.

Embrace Your Emotions

Your feelings, though, may not always be negative. If your job involves interacting with clients or customers, they could be your secret weapon. Connecting with others on an emotional level might help you forge deeper bonds with those you share your life with.

Self-Care

Emotional outbursts at work are often unwarranted and have nothing to do with you personally but rather are signs of systemic or organizational issues.

Self-care isn't the solution to greater systemic problems, but the following ideas can help you cope with what you can influence right now.

Use Your Vacation Days

Paid time off is a perk many employers offer. Why not take use of your paid time off if you wouldn't return a portion of your salary? If you can't afford a full vacation right now, simply being at home can help you recharge your batteries and stop you from being a ticking time bomb.

Step Away for Lunch

Take a break, even if it's just a few minutes, and have lunch every day. Instead of eating lunch at your desk while multitasking, take the time during lunch to eat slowly and deliberately.

Keep in mind that this fuel is essential to keeping your mind functioning for the rest of the day. Those that take their time while eating also seem to enjoy their food more.

Know Your Limits

Take a break, even if it's just a few minutes, and have lunch every day. Instead of eating lunch at your desk while multitasking, take the time during lunch to eat slowly and deliberately.

Keep in mind that this fuel is essential to keeping your mind functioning for the rest of the day. Those that take their time while eating also seem to enjoy their food more.

Get Professional Help

Talking to a mental health specialist who can help you cope with your feelings and rule out any underlying mental health concerns is a good idea if they are interfering with your work or seem overwhelming to you.

Look into whether or if your workplace offers an EAP (employee assistance program) if you aren't already participating in a therapy program. After conducting an evaluation with you, these programs can provide you both short-term counseling and referrals to outside therapists in a safe, confidential environment.