If you’re going to have an emotional meltdown at work, whether your boss is getting you down or nothing seems to be going your way, the key is to think about it — and discuss it — in terms of your passion for your work, not the emotions themselves. You’ll get up faster, and your coworkers will understand better.
Photo by LaurMG.
It may sound strange, and keep in mind that this applies only to the kinds of breakdowns you have at the office, where it can’t be ignored by others, but The Science Of Us explains why framing it this way works so well:
There are times when the best of us lose our tempers at work, slamming doors or bursting into tears in view of the entire office. (Wouldn’t know personally, but I hear things.) In one moment, it feels like catharsis; in the next, it feels a lot more like embarrassment or regret. And yet, if a new paper is to be believed, there is a stupidly simple way to save face here: Tell everyone you freaked out because you are just that passionate about your work.
The researchers called this “emotion reframing,” and it’s exactly what it sounds like — in a workplace context, as the study authors use in their paper, it’s reframing an office meltdown as a natural consequence of your dedication to the job.
The paper in question, published by the Harvard Business School, notes that more of your coworkers will understand and support you if you explain that the reason you’re upset or unhappy is because you’re so passionate about what you do, versus just being sad and not explaining, or by trying to explain your feelings away as you just being emotional. Plus, the impact isn’t lost on you either — telling yourself that the reason this gets you down is because you actually do care about what you’re doing will help you get back up and try again sooner, or look for a better solution to the problem. For more, hit the link below.
How to Have an Emotional Meltdown at Work and Get Away With It [The Science of Us]
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