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10 Tips to Cope with Negative Emotions at Work
It's a fact of life - if you want to succeed in business, you need to know how to interact and communicate effectively with your employees, business partners, vendors, prospects, and customers. As a small business owner, this might involve rapid shifting from one type of language to another. For example, how you'd explain your expectations to your employees might be different than how you'd convey these to your business partner or potential client. As we all know, sometimes language breaks down, and communication grinds to a halt. This can leave the owner feeling irritable, angry, frustrated... and with a desire to vent to his/her employees or staff. While there may be instances that such sharing would be appropriate or helpful, there are many instances where this is not the case, and venting anyway may result in a significant loss of credibility and respect from key employees and contacts. So, what are some effective ways to manage emotions in the work place environment? 1. Good self-care is the best medicine. An employer who tends to his/her own physical, emotional and mental needs, regularly, is going to be more adept at managing negative or hostile emotions at work. Start with adequate sleep, good nutrition, and regular exercise. 2. Know what anger and frustration feels like to you - both in your head and in your body. Sometimes, we can get really "cut off" from our feelings and act rashly without knowing why. Spend some time knowing what anger feels like to you, and where you notice it in your body. 3. Take a 10 minute walk. When you desire to "vent", excuse yourself from the office and take a brisk 10 minute walk around the parking lot or neighborhood. This will clear your mind and may save you from losing your temper. 4. Vent to a mentor, coach, or trusted colleague. The act of sharing your frustration and fears will calm you down. These people can support you and help you move forward. 5. Ask, "What am I afraid of?". Most often, anger or frustration appears when one of our fears has been activated. By going directly for the source of your feelings, you may be able to short-circuit them. 6. Make an exhaustive "do not want" list. In this list, you write down everything you do NOT want in the situation such as "to look foolish", "to be unprepared", etc.. Once you write this all down - ALL OF IT- you will clear your mind and be ready to generate productive solutions. 7. Distract yourself. Sometimes, getting your mind off the upsetting subject is enough to calm you down. Consider closing your door and playing computer games or something equally mindless (but absorbing). Shifting your focus will shift your attitude. 8. Ask, "What's working about this situation?" This tip comes from Kurt Wright's book, "Breaking the Rules", and suggests that we all can manage stress better if we start looking at "what's working" rather than "what's wrong". Many times, communication breakdowns or glitches can show you where better systems need to be created and placed and ultimately, will enhance the viability of your organization. 9. Take an action. Sometimes, when one piece of the business plan isn't moving, it may mean that another part is ready to be acted upon. Rather than feeling annoyed and frustrated, transform that energy into positive movement forward, where you can. 10. Make a strong request. If you would like something to be different, start the process of making it so. Contact key people, letting them know that you'd like to work on the impasse, and make your needs and those of your business known. Sometimes, just communicating about your desires in the form of an appropriate request can move situations along. Regular use of these tips will help you stay well balanced & happy as your business grows and flourishes. Try them and see! © 2003. Dr. Rachna D. Jain. All Rights in All Media Reserved. About The Author Dr. Rachna D. Jain is a sales and marketing coach and Director of Operations for SalesCoachTraining.com. Sign up for her free email newsletter, "Sales & Marketing Secrets" To learn more or to contact Dr. Jain directly, please visit http://www.SalesandMarketingCoach.com
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The icing on the cake for those involved in organisational change processes is to create a feedback loop that renders future major change unnecessary. Choice Change is not truly necessary. Change is about choice. You have the choice whether to accept it positively or not. It is your choice and everyone has that - believe it or not. No-one is holding you down to prevent you getting away. Take personal responsibility for the choices you make. Focus Change gives the opportunity for and usually gets really down to the gist of the issues that have precipitated the need. This is good. Your organisation is realising that things need to be different, for all sorts of reasons, but usually for the health of the organisation and that means you, usually. For some it may mean loss of role, status and even job - now what positive opportunity does that bring! Passion And finally, we have the opportunity to review our own roles, not just in the workplace, but in life too. Are you passionate about your work - or are you just muddling through? Are new opportunities presented to you personally through change - within or without the place where you work today? What is your personal passion and how do you work towards making that how you spend every day of your life? Keep Your Cool Know your limits. Accept what you can't change and let go of things out of your control. Ease your tension. Take a walk; listen to music, splash cold water on your face. Earn small rewards when you make the choice not to become angry. Phone a friend. It helps to share your concerns and talk things out.
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