Everyone experiences negative emotions from time to time, but it's important to learn how to manage those emotions at work when you can't simply step away and deal with them on your own time. You could feel overwhelmed by anger or frustration in the workplace or wholly devastated by sadness or disappointment.
So, how do you deal with negative emotions at work? Some people allow their employees to take time off when they feel wrong about something that has happened or even try to talk them through it.
Our Mind Is A wanderer
The truth is that there are some days when no matter how hard you try, you can't get yourself to concentrate on the job at hand because your mind keeps wandering and thinking about another issue altogether. You know it doesn't help your work performance or anyone else's, but what can you do?
Here are some ways to manage these emotions so they don't get in the form of doing your job at hand.
6 Most Common Emotions Experienced In The Workplace
While humans experience these feelings regularly, they're intensified and multiplied when you add other people (e.g., coworkers) into the mix. Here are six of those common feelings and some ways you can handle them in your everyday office life:
- Pride - You've done something that makes you feel good about yourself and your company; don't be afraid to share it with others!
- Envy - Don't let envy control how you feel about someone else's success; instead, use it to motivate future growth.
- Sadness - It's OK to feel sad sometimes—but if sadness is affecting your work or home life, consider talking with someone who can help.
- Anger - Anger can be a good thing; it motivates you and helps you stand up for yourself when necessary.
- Fear - When fear takes over, it often leads to inaction and missed opportunities; don't let that happen!
- Shame - Shame has no place in an office environment; if you feel ashamed about something, talk about it with someone you trust.
Related: How to Stop Emotional Dumping and Start Healthy Venting
Relationship Between Emotions And How They Affect Employee Engagement
- A positive relationship exists between how employees feel and how they act. When employees are motivated, focused, enthusiastic, and energetic, they work harder.
- They're also more likely to give their best efforts when following directions and being productive on company projects.
- On top of that, they're less likely to make costly mistakes when delivering top-notch service or completing high-priority assignments.
In short, engaged employees can handle pressure and stress better while performing well under pressure than their disengaged counterparts. And because they're better able to manage stress and anxiety, they have a more extraordinary ability to focus on tasks and deliver results without making costly errors.
Related: Check This Psychologist Approved Tool to Address Your Feelings
The Relationship Between Emotions and Employee Engagement
- It's a two-way street. As employees become more engaged, they become more emotionally aware, which makes them better able to handle their own emotions and those of others.
- And as they become more emotionally aware, they're better able to identify and control their emotional reactions, which gives them an edge when dealing with stressful situations at work or managing relationships with coworkers and customers alike.
Emotional Intelligence
How does emotional intelligence relate to employee engagement? For starters, emotional intelligence is defined as the ability to monitor one's own and other people's emotions, discriminate between different feelings and label them appropriately, and use emotional information to guide thinking and behavior.
This means that emotionally intelligent people can assess their feelings before responding—and respond appropriately—to events that occur during daily life. They also have a better understanding of how others feel and why they feel that way. And because they know how others feel, they can be more sensitive to those around them, making it easier for them to create strong relationships with coworkers and customers alike.
8 Tips For Managing Emotions At Work
Emotions are an essential part of life, and they can work to your advantage when used wisely. When you learn how to handle your emotions at work, you become better equipped to motivate others.
Here are 8 tips for managing your emotions to contribute positively toward professional success.
1). Be aware of your own emotions.
It's easy to get caught up in other people's emotional reactions, but it's important that you also understand your feelings and how they affect your work. If you don't understand what makes you tick, it can be not easy to control yourself and others around you.
2). Don't let your feelings get out of hand.
It can be easy to get carried away with strong emotions, but you mustn't overreact when things go wrong. Learn how to control yourself and stay calm even when things are going poorly. This will help you avoid saying or doing something you might regret later.
3). Be kind and understanding towards others, even if they make mistakes or act inappropriately.
Everyone makes mistakes, but you mustn't let your feelings about these slip-ups affect your ability to work with others. Instead of getting angry or upset when someone messes up, try focusing on how you can help them learn from their mistake instead. This will keep your relationships strong and allow you to continue working together productively.
4). Keep an open mind regarding other people's opinions.
There are many different ways of looking at things, and even if you don't agree with someone else's point of view, you can still learn from them. If you keep your mind open, you can better understand why others think and act as they do, which will help you work together more effectively and build stronger relationships with them.
5). Don't let yourself get too upset over criticism or mistakes.
Everyone makes mistakes, and it can be easy to take these personally when someone points them out. Instead of getting upset about your shortcomings, try seeing them as opportunities for growth and improvement. This will help you learn from your errors and prevent you from making similar mistakes.
6). Be honest with others about your feelings, but don't be aggressive.
It can be easy to hide your true feelings from others when you're upset or angry, but keeping these bottled up inside will only make things worse. Instead of bottling up your feelings and lashing out, later on, try being open and honest about what's bothering you as soon as possible. This will help you avoid letting your anger build up until it becomes too much to handle.
7). Don't get caught up in drama or gossip.
It can be tempting to start speculating about other people's motivations when something goes wrong, but doing so will only distract you from getting work done. When someone else is causing a problem for you, focus on solving that problem instead of trying to figure out why they did what they did. This will help you avoid unnecessary distractions and prevent problems from becoming bigger than they need to be.
8). Take responsibility for your actions and don't blame others when things go wrong.
Even if another person makes a mistake, you must take responsibility for your actions. If something goes wrong because of something you did, don't try shifting blame onto others—instead, learn how to do better next time and prevent similar mistakes from happening again in the future.
Conclusion
Emotions are important. They're crucial because they're part of what makes us human. Without emotions, we wouldn't feel empathy, or have a conscience—we would be robots. But even though they're good for society and make us who we are, they don't belong in a professional environment. When you're working, you must keep your emotions out of it. The best way to do that is by managing them with emotional intelligence.
