There are a lot of reasons why people get upset at work. It could be personal or professional. Given the amount of time people get in an office, it seems obvious that people will get overly emotional. So how should you handle your tears as a manager or even a colleague? The answer lies in this post. In this article, we are going to reveal to you the several ways in which you can control tears at work and also help others to control themselves when a situation like this occurs.
Crying at Work: How to Control Emotions at Work:
The following mentioned are few tips on how to control emotions and stop crying.
1. Try to focus on breathing differently:
Make sure that you take slow and deep breaths. The extra oxygen will give you a gentle high that will soothe you. The activity may also help you change focus and in that way, you can control tears from falling.
2. Take a step behind:
If you do have the time to distance between yourself and the stressor, go ahead and do it. Wait till your emotions have cooled down. And whenever you can, just make sure to avoid all those emotional meetings unless and until all problems have been resolved.
3. Distract yourself:
Another step you can take is distracting yourself from tears. Some people try to do this by biting their cheeks, digging a fingernail into the palm of their hands, or just holding a piece of ice until water begins to trickle all over the wrist area. The key here is to create a sensation that is intense enough to distract you from all the emotional stress.
4. Use some good props:
Another trick we will suggest you to use is using a couple of good props. It can help you hold on to your tears for a bit. Start off with preparing your agenda by holding a physical piece of paper that you can simply hold in your hands. If in any way it does not fit the situation, you can carry a legal pad or your PDA to take some of the notes down. Look down as if you are jotting down notes even if you are not.
5. Allow yourself to get angry:
This technique can help you control tears very fast. The key is to get angry. Girls are hardly ever expected to get angry at a work place or show pangs of emotions. They do not usually engage in conflicts, especially if it is your work place. Our childhood habits could be a little hard to learn but you can always teach yourself some new skills as adults. So do allow yourself to get angry.
6. Do it for another person:
If you are reframing a conversation as a confrontation on behalf of another person could make it easier for you to come out of stressful situations. In this vein, people tend to get past themselves and your own insecurities which ultimately help you get past tears. And that could be a good thing.
7. A behavioural modification could work:
Another technique we could think of is called behavioural modification. The idea here is to pay more attention to other things such as problems, thoughts and behaviour. If you have noticed a behaviour trait such as always tearing up whenever the boss says something unpleasant about you in his office. So keep that in your head and practise how to tackle it when the time comes. If good music helps you calm down, then put on your headphones and listen to something soothing.
Other Helpful Tips on Try Not to Cry:
1. Know that crying has a place:
The first thing you need to do is know that crying always has a place. You cannot always cry in front of a bunch of people. It is not right to show emotions to everyone. Gives a very wrong impression of you to others! Tears can be a form of release of emotions. But always know that you should sort things out with the person instead of wasting emotions in front of a group of people. Strong people don’t give into tears too fast.
2. Remove yourself:
If you think you are going to cry any minute, then remove yourself from the situation right away. The easiest and smartest way to do that is by simply walking away from what is making you cry. This will give you a break and you might be able to control your tears for longer. But the situation should be apt because you can walk away from your colleagues but not in front of your boss. In case you fall in the second category, try some of the other ideas enlisted here.
3. Think of good things:
Give yourself a couple of minutes and try to think of good things. Fill your mind with happy thoughts only. Store a couple of jokes, sketches and funny YouTube videos. Watch them when you feel like you are going to cry. Call out on all those happy thoughts which can help you block tears.
4. Hold your eyes open wide:
Now, this is the physical aspect and can be considered helpful if you have tried for very long. Hold your eyes wide open and don’t blink for long at all. Try doing this somewhere alone because doing it in front of others will make you look creepy. It will also be quite hard to not give away the fact that you are trying not to cry or blubber too much.
5. Try to stop thinking of all those that caused your sadness:
Use numbers to distract yourself. Try to multiply 267 with 6. See how long that takes. Or you could try something like using your imagination. Think of your dream house and all the things you want to do in it. Be careful not to think of any person who will make you cry a lot more. If you have a project to finish then think of ways in which you can make it look more interesting and attractive. Think of cute things, colours and objects to take your mind off it.
6. Stop feeling stressed:
Do know that the more stressed you feel, the lesser chances you have of holding back your tears. If you really want to stop looking like you are going to tear up, you have to let stress and anxiety disappear. And that you can only do by following all the other tips and ideas. Another solution is to get a whole lot of sleep so that the stress levels reduce. The next time you meet the person, you will be feeling less uncomfortable too.
How to Control Emotional Crying at Work?
1. Keep things simple:
If you have identified the problem and realised that it is a personal one, stick to very simple responses and say something like you are sorry that happened. Don’t say something like it is going be okay or imply the fact that you should buck up. Nobody wants to hear that when they are crying or are about to cry. Most importantly, don’t tell them a story of your own. It never helps.
2. Pay close attention:
Do not ever wait for a crisis to tune into people’s emotions. Give more time and opportunity to the employee so that they can come and talk to you. You could set aside a couple of minutes at the end of those one on one meetings! Experts have always suggested questions such as, “Are there any other issues you are dealing with?” If there is, you should put it down on a piece of paper. Often there are employees who are frightened to ask for help in an organisation so be mindful for that.
3. Act like yourself:
When you are faced with someone who is weeping at work, your first thought should be to go and help that person. Some experts have also advised to approach the person and speak to them. Speaking to someone else when they are about to cry may always be a bit helpful. We already have the script as well as the capability but we really need to get over on how we should do it outside the office. What you do with them will depend on the sort of relationship you share with them.
This brings us to the end of the list. Do you know that crying is natural and can happen anytime. So please don’t feel guilty about it. In fact, you should try your best in controlling emotions. Hopefully, the tips enlisted in this post have helped you. And in case you are not satisfied with the information given and have a couple of questions you would like to ask, please feel free to post a comment below. You may also give us some of your feedback. We would love to hear!
