Take a Deep Breath: What To Do When Staying Calm Feels Impossible
Work can be a stressful place. Nearly anyone in the workforce can attest to this, and all jobs have highly stressful moments. Managing that kind of stress comes with time, and it’s also critically important. You probably aren’t able to de-stress at work the same way you can de-stress on your own time, so it’s important to know how to do so on the job.
In her article, Taylor Tobin draws inspiration from a NASA Flight Director on how to manage stressful situations in the moment, while remaining effective and professional. So, take a deep breath and read on!
- Focus on the task, not the emotions: Focusing on the negative emotions that come along with stress will only distract you, and make it harder for you to manage the situation you’re in. It’s also important here to focus on the facts of the situation, and not the what-ifs. What-ifs distract from handling the problem with the hard facts you have on hand.
- Get the info you need and ask the right questions: It’s important to get as much information as possible when working to solve a problem, but it’s also important to filter out the unnecessary things. Make sure you’re asking the questions for what you need to know. Getting bogged down by the less important and often emotional extras will help you problem solve faster and more efficiently.
To sum things up, do your best to remove your emotions from the situation, and know what facts to focus on. With these in practice, you’ll be less distracted and more analytical in your approach, leading to better problem solving and an improved outcome.
Photo by bruce mars from Pexels
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