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Jessie I.

How to control yourself in a difficult situation at work

Updated: May 30

Developing self-awareness is one of managing's biggest challenges. Your team picks up on your attitude, how you react to different situations, and how you carry yourself. Maintaining your composure at all times can be challenging, but that's what your team needs. You are not expected to be a emotionless machine. Because we are all human, it will be easy to lose your composure at times. The trick is to know how to deal with those emotions while still being a good leader.


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It can be hard on your mind to keep your emotions inside. Things that frustrate you tend to come out of you eventually, and not always in the best possible way. They can also prevent you from solving a problem in a constructive way. If you let your emotions prevent you from solving a problem, you will hurt everyone on your team.


Remove yourself from the situation

Take a break physical or emotional from the situation to gain a clearer picture. Evaluate the important decisions you are making and re-energize yourself by taking a break to pause, take a deep breath, and reflect. Go for a coffee break or for a walk to clear your mind. If it is a meeting and you cannot leave immediately then excuse yourself to get some water or drink it if it is in front of you to buy some time.

It can also help you get out of situations in which you might say something that you will later regret. It's easy to lose your cool in the heat of the moment. You can give yourself a chance to let your cool prevail by going for a walk or taking some other kind of break.


Take your time

It's easy to write and say things you don't mean or that won't help you accomplish anything when your blood pressure is high and your stress level is high. I'm talking about you if you've ever sent an aggressive email or made a snap decision that you later regretted. We are all human, and our feelings can take over our lives. Although you can't always control how you feel at first, you can control how you react.

Ask yourself if you can wait a day or if you need to deal with a difficult situation right away when it arises. Do not be afraid to inquire if you are unsure. A request to "sleep on it" is rarely refused, whether in a heated negotiation or when dealing with a difficult issue at work.


Don't forget to deal with it

You've probably noticed that many of the aforementioned strategies require you to step away from a challenging circumstance and take some time to formulate a response that is more thoughtful. The other side of that coin is to ensure that you wait no longer than necessary. If a problem persists, it will be more difficult to resolve in the future.

Maintaining your composure in front of your team is crucial. Your team may lose faith in you as their leader if you don't set an example of steady leadership. It's not always easy to do this, but these strategies can help you avoid mistakes that could hurt relationships or set a bad example.

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