We all have personal issues going on in our lives. Financial problems are running rampant. Kids go through crises that parents have to handle. Family members become ill. Marital problems arise. The list goes on. These problems can become such an issue that they can seem to take over – and sometimes they can interrupt other areas of our lives.
Dealing with personal issues while you’re at work can be extremely difficult. As you’re trying to multitask, your mind wanders and you start thinking about the issues going on. When you become distracted, you are not performing at your best. Your work becomes less than ideal and perhaps you even receive disciplinary actions. We all need to find ways to check our problems at the door, instead of bringing them into the office with us.
Here are five things you can do to handle your emotions while you’re on the clock:
- Be mindful – Mindfulness plays a huge role in productivity. Pay attention to what you’re doing, focus during conversations, and be in the moment.
- Note when you struggle – When you’re particularly emotional and struggling to focus, make a note of it. Write down what caused you to be distracted. This can help you get back on track.
- Reboot – When you notice that you have become focused on your personal problems, do a reboot. Stop what you’re working on and take a break. Allow yourself to regroup and then get back to the task at hand.
- Work on responding at home – We can avoid a lot of hardship and hurt feelings at work if we are working on our emotional responses when we’re not at the office. Create good habits and they will follow wherever you go.
- Address one issue at a time – There will sometimes be problems at work that need to be addressed. Make sure that you’re dealing with that one problem and not letting your personal issues cloud the situation.
