We’ve all experienced extreme annoyance at work at some point or another: You work all night on a project that is later abandoned, a client criticizes your team for no apparent reason, or a coworker repeatedly arrives late for meetings and leaves you with all the prep work.
These office aggravations can make your blood boil. Your attention is abruptly diverted from the crucial task at hand. As a result, you become irrational, lose your ability to think clearly, and may even blame others or yourself for becoming upset. When in this mindset, you’re more likely to make poor decisions and say things you might later regret.
You’ll encounter and need to master the emotion of anger throughout your career if you want to become a leader. Make sure you have the skills necessary to manage and express your rage professionally and in a way that will be long-lastingly advantageous to your career.
The Roots of Anger in the Workplace
How to manage your feelings when you get angry at work
Follow these instructions to control your emotions when you become irate at work:
1. Acknowledge your anger
Look into the root of your anger to determine what is causing it. There may frequently be a real problem at work that you can analyze to help solve. Keep in mind that anger is a typical emotion and your body’s reaction to a “threat.” “It’s helpful to acknowledge your anger in order to prevent holding onto it. Examine your rage to determine whether it is justified in light of the situation.
2. Breathe deeply
Take a few deep breaths to help you relax if you start to feel angry. Exercises that deepen breathing can help your brain relax and divert your focus from your anger You could also try counting to ten, reciting a soothing mantra, or using your favorite music as a diversion.
3. Talk to someone you can trust
Tell someone you can trust about the circumstance that caused you to feel irate. They might be able to provide you with insight or advice that you hadn’t thought of, which would help you to defend your emotions. To protect your privacy, you should be cautious about with whom you share information and speak. Look for someone who can listen well and has empathy.
4. Get some space
To avoid being reminded of what made you angry, leave the office or workplace. Take a quick stroll to focus your energy on something more productive. During this time, think about the situation and possible solutions. This might make it easier for you to remain composed and approach the issue from a new angle.
5. Consider how someone you respect would handle this situation
To gain fresh insight, consider how your role model or boss would respond to this circumstance. Imagine them in your predicament, and consider their reaction. It can be helpful to visualize a respected person who is expressing anger in order to avoid reacting negatively and raising your voice.
6. Discuss your anger with the parties involved
Arrange a meeting with the parties involved in the circumstance that incited your rage once you have calmed down and are able to think more clearly. Consider bringing in a third person to act as a mediator during the meeting, depending on the state of your relationship with the person. Avoid placing blame when speaking with the other person because doing so might prompt them to respond defensively or counterattack. Instead, try determining what is required to proceed, coming to an understanding while keeping the end in mind, and
7. Develop an action plan
Describe the precise steps you need to take to address the trigger incident. If your anger involves something you can change, find solutions. However, if it involves something beyond your control, cultivate acceptance for the way things are and alter your perspective on them. Putting things behind you enables your anger to no longer negatively impact your physical health.
8. Focus on being happy
While some workplace circumstances may be beyond your control, you have a choice in how you react to them. To improve your experience and produce more productive work, try to be more upbeat at work.
What are the benefits of controlling your anger at work?
Employees may feel they can communicate and interact with each other more effectively in a more positive environment if anger at work is managed. If not controlled, anger frequently manifests as increased employee absences and low morale. You can follow a procedure for handling negative emotions if you know how to channel your anger into a more constructive direction. You can come up with solutions to enhance your working environment by getting together with others to discuss how an event affects you.
The benefits of managing your rage at work are as follows:
Tips for managing anger in the workplace
Here are some tips to help you manage your anger:
FAQ
How do you handle anger in the workplace?
- Acknowledge your anger. …
- Breathe deeply. …
- Talk to someone you can trust. …
- Get some space. …
- Consider how someone you respect would handle this situation. …
- Discuss your anger with the parties involved. …
- Develop an action plan. …
- Focus on being happy.
Is showing anger at work ever acceptable?
I believe that acting angry in the workplace is like walking on thin ice, especially if the anger is directed at a specific person rather than a particular circumstance. Because anger is a natural human emotion, feeling angry is acceptable. Using rage as a pretext to intimidate or control others is not acceptable.
Can you be fired for having anger issues?
No amount of anger, whether unwarranted or justified, is permitted in the workplace. Employers cannot reasonably impose disciplinary action on such subjective terms as a worker’s angry or negative attitude or disposition because anger is an emotion.
What do you do with an employee with anger issues?
- Acknowledge Feelings, Discourage Bad Behavior. …
- Don’t Match Their Escalation (But Let Them Vent) …
- Try To See Things From Their Perspective. …
- Thank The Team Member For Their Feedback. …
- Repeat Their Problem Back To Them (Ensure Good Communication) …
- Apologize To The Employee (If Necessary)
