Here’s a lesser-known fact: emotions are not our weaknesses or flaws. Human beings experience a plethora of emotions on a daily basis. That includes positive and negative ones. Shoving down the negative ones for 40+ hours a week doesn’t make us better professionals.
“Unexpressed emotions will never die. They are buried alive and will come forth later in uglier ways.” ~ Sigmund Freud, the Father of Modern Psychology
Why do we feel angry at work?
Employees get stressed and angry at work for a variety of work-related or personal reasons. Ranging from a toxic work environment, micromanaging boss or lack of growth to financial pressure or a family spat - it could be anything. Read about the 5 most common reasons for anger at work here.
But no matter what the reason, anger at work needs to be tended to with the trite approach to create a healthy work environment.
6 Healthy Ways To Deal With Anger At Work
1. Recognize the triggers at work
Understanding who or what makes you angry is the first step towards managing anger at the workplace. When you identify these triggers, you can make an action plan to either avoid them, communicate them or find ways to deal with them. Anticipating triggering situations can help you control anger at work and stay calm.
For example, if you’re triggered by endless emails during work hours that take away your focus from work, turn off your notifications and schedule a few minutes in your calendar to check your mailbox. Doing this will help you stay focused on your work and keep anger at bay.
2. Taking time out from your work
More often than not, leaving the situation or moving away from the person who’s triggering your anger helps you calm down. If you’re able to, leave the workplace to take a short walk or sit alone to process your emotions.
During this time, think about the solutions instead of the problem and find ways to rectify the situation. This is one of the best ways to manage anger issues at work as it saves you from making rash decisions or saying/doing something you will regret later.
3. Communication at work
At the workplace, it’s important to have clear communication with those around you. If you often find yourself in a situation where certain individual(s) or situations trigger your anger, find ways to communicate it with the concerned parties. For example, suppose your boss’s micromanagement often triggers you. In that case, you can schedule a meeting with them to communicate what’s bothering you and find ways to handle anger and frustration at work.
Depending on the status of your relationship, you can speak to them personally or consider including a third party to mediate the conversation. By working together, you can find a solution that works best for both parties.
4. Write an angry email, but don’t send
Have you ever felt like throwing your phone away when you received an email that made you angry? Or felt like hitting your coworker who just wouldn’t stop talking when you’re knee-deep in work? When angry, our go-to solution is to scream, be aggressive or physical to fight the anger-causing person or situation.
Goes without saying, that kind of behaviour is not healthy and rarely helps us in letting go of our stress and anger at work. So the next time you’re angry at someone, write them an email, a letter or a text explaining your feelings in-depth, but don’t send it. Writing down our feelings helps us understand them and eventually, get over them.
5. Relaxation techniques
Simple relaxation techniques, like mindfulness, meditation and breathing can help you stay grounded and soothe your angry feelings.
- Focused breathing: When we’re angry, we tend to breathe loudly and more quickly. Practice taking controlled, slow breaths that help you stay calm. Try out this simple breathing technique to handle anger and frustration at work.
Imagery: Visualizing a relaxing experience or imagery that is associated with a happy memory helps us stay grounded.
Muscle relaxation: Anger leads to tense and sore muscles. Start with relaxing your body from your toes and slowly work your way up to the neck and head.
- Being in nature: Nature is the solution to many of our problems. When your anger feels out of control, seek solace in nature. Sitting with your eyes closed for a few minutes will calm you.
6. Find long-term solutions for your anger at work
While the above-mentioned strategies help you manage stress and anger at work in the short term, a long-term solution is required if your anger keeps resurfacing regularly.
Most workplaces have Employee Assistance Programs that grant you access to professional therapists and counsellors to help you channel your emotions. MindFry helps organizations make the mental health of their employees a priority. Employees can find the right care and find ways to manage their anger at work in as little as two minutes from vetted mental health professionals.
Pretending only to feel happy emotions at work is never a good idea. The best way to control your anger at work is by acknowledging your emotions instead of burying them. Identify the triggers of your anger and communicate clearly to make your workplace your happy place.
