Sometimes at work, we get aggravated and upset. It happens to the best of us. No matter how awesome and great your job is there will be times where someone rubs you the wrong way or says something in such a way that infuriates you to no end. Even though you may be justified in your anger, you need to keep your cool at work because what you say and do can be detrimental to your job and even your career. In order to keep your sanity, and your job, take a look at some of these tips Spark News provides and keep your cool in the office.
Breathe, Take a Moment, Breathe Again
So it happened to you. One of your co-workers or superiors sent you a message or said something to you personally that really got under your skin. Perhaps it was a low jab at your work ethic or maybe they just used certain words that you deemed rude or disrespectful. Before you react, verbally or electronically, take a minute and breathe deep. It’s never a great idea to lose your cool right away. Even if you are just replying to them via email, if you are upset or angered it will likely show in the words you choose. If you are speaking directly with this person and you find that you are going to lose your cool, take a deep breath and perhaps say that you need to walk away for a moment.
The problem with reacting too quickly is that you may say something you absolutely regret. We all know how we can get when we are angry and chances are you will say something off the cuff that can come back to bite you in the you know what. Instead, avoid this altogether and take some time to cool your jets. You will feel better about it later.
Make Sure You’re Not Reading Into Things
Often times, others can say things that are hurtful to us and they don’t even realize it. We can also have negative reactions to things due to personal matters on the subject that others have no insight into. That is why taking a break from it will give you time to clear your head and come back to the message without flaring emotions. If the message was, in fact, hurtful and was blatantly sent to upset you, then comb through the message again. What was it that made you so upset? Why did this message make you upset? Rather than just being angry, try and understand exactly why this rubbed you the wrong way. If this was something that really offended you, then consider talking to this person one-on-one. This leads us to the next tip.
Talk About It
If you were really upset, then it’s a good idea to tell this person that what they said upset you or hurt your feelings. It is best to do this in person. First of all, communicating electronically has its issues. Things can be taken out of context and the true meaning may be lost in the words of an email. Second of all, if you reply to this message electronically know that everything you send can be saved and stored for later use. There is virtually no privacy in the virtual world. If you say something in an email that is full of rage and emotion, that email can be brought up again and shown to your superiors. This is definitely something you want to avoid. If you don’t want to approach this person face-to-face, then make sure you are choosing your words carefully and know that this email can be stored for reference for…forever.
Maintain Professionalism
Even though this person may not have acted professionally, that doesn’t mean you should follow suit. Make sure you are being professional in everything you do. As stated earlier, if you are surging with anger or very upset, then wait until you calm down to react and send a reply. Professionals don’t rant, rave and act on their emotions. Stay cool and keep your professionalism. It will be noted if this issue arises again at a later time.
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