5 Ways To Deal With Toxic Emotions At Work
Posted by Aurelia Sugita
Hello again everyone :) Hope all is well and you’re all thriving in this new day. Today’s article is going to be slightly different than what you are used to. I’d say, it may be much more straightforward than usual. Since we are on the topic of bluntness, today’s blog will cover on toxic emotions at work and how do we deal with them. It is important to keep your productivity up throughout the day, so I’ll show you how to prevent those toxic emotions from happening while you are at work.
How To Deal With Toxic Emotions At Work:
1. Is It Worth It?
I know many people tend to avoid this but, isn’t it important to reflect on your actions and decisions? One common issue that most people struggled with would definitely be procrastination. For those of you who don’t know what it is, basically, this act happens when you push your work until the very last minute. This itself is an arguable topic because some people might say that working under pressure or with limited time allows you to give your best effort but it could also show a lack of discipline. It is also paired with another habit, which is when your thoughts are keeping you from working. It is common for people to daydream a lot, but when you are in the middle of your daydreaming, have you ever thought of the benefits of loitering around and wasting your time? As you could see, not only that you are wasting your energy, but also your time. Let’s break it down this way, you only have a few hours at work each day and before you know it, 5 hours have passed. Now, do you want to spend the time to focus on toxic emotions and thoughts or actually finish your accomplishments? Remember, freedom = responsibility.
2. Distract Yourself
I know that this is not as orthodoxical as you thought it would be but yes, this works! Now, hear me out first. If you know some ways to both distract yourself but not hindering your work speed, you could enjoy both doing something you like and finally finishing your tasks. For instance, I love music. For those of you who are like me, Spotify is your friend. As you could see, not only does listening to music keeps you from negatively but it also lets you do your work without distractions. Now, there is a tricky side of this “method” and that is, some genre of music might still let you work but may not be up to your potential. Well for me, I usually start with acoustic songs or as a piano version for first half of the day and continue with upbeat songs after lunch. Why that way, you say? Well to me, I find that energetic songs are beneficial to keep your energy up (hence why they’re called energetic) but I’m not the type of person who could go with that genre the whole day. I also prefer to listen to it in the afternoon because, like a normal human being, I get sleepy after I eat lunch. So, gotta keep my energy up (of course with the help of caffeine).
3. Laughter Is The Best Medicine
Do you know what a Debbie Downer is? Well, they are basically people who aren’t up in their game and ones who would ruin the mood. That itself could be one way to show toxic emotions, but don’t worry because I know a way. As you know, comedy debuff negative thoughts. While you’re cracking up jokes and being silly, not only that you’re going to destress but also help your team to relax a little bit. It is true that humour lightens the mood and is very helpful, not only for teamwork but also for your office environment. As what Julie Andrews said as Mary Poppins, “Just a spoonful of sugar helps the medicine go down”. To that, the sugar means comedy and the medicine are your tasks for the day. In a way, a little bit of laughter will help you get through your day fantastically. Trust me, if you keep your work environments’ energy up, going to work might not be that unpleasant after all.
4. Weed Out The Source
Like many others, negativity can come through different sources. Well, what is yours? One great example might be if you know one of your colleagues isn’t up to par with your wavelength. If you know that the person itself affect you to the point of your work performance, you yourself know that those disturbances won’t let you get your work done. Although it is recommended to simply just cut that person out of your life, you also need to try and be in that person’s shoes. Maybe decreasing your interactions with them might help. It is important to prioritize what your tasks are rather than putting your emotions first. It is understandable that people can get into bad moods quickly when their “enemy” arrives but that itself is not beneficial toward your accomplishments. I personally recommend that you divert your attention to something more productive rather than letting your anger consume you.
5. Just Breathe
Are the points provided insufficient to get rid of your toxic emotions? Why don’t you take a deep breath instead? Or maybe you could go out and get some fresh air. It is also important to take care of your own wellbeing, therefore self-care is a must. Taking a deep breath helps you rethink everything that’s going on at that certain moment and also is one of the quickest and easiest relaxation tool. If you dwell yourself with work and not take a short break, one day you will break down, either mentally or physically and we don’t want that happening any time soon. Do remember that you need to separate your needs and wants. What matters most is the present and try not to let your emotions affect your performance. As what Bennet said, “Believe in yourself. You are braver than you think, more talented than you know, and capable of more than you imagine.”
Hi everyone! Was this article hard to swallow? I can’t deny that it also took me a while to create this article but at least, I could convey my thoughts this way, ain’t it? It is true that toxic emotions might come up to you unexpectedly but it is also important for us to be aware that it could also affect our environment whether we like it or not. Therefore, those tricks are ones that I have kept up my sleeves for as long as I remember and I hope it does help you all too. I am well aware that some of you might have different thoughts in regards to this, if you do, let me know :) I also hope that you enjoy this article thoroughly and of course it is an honour for me to write for you all. See you in the next chapter!