Don’t FREAK OUT!

Who made those “Keep Calm and Carry On” posters?  I wonder if they work in a big office and found the key to keeping it together when you want to LOSE IT on someone.  It’s normal.  Sometimes we want to FREAK OUT! on the job but it never leads to anything productive or positive.  Here are a few ways to stop yourself from the big FO!

1. Picture the Day Before It Starts.  Visulalize yourself moving through your day with a smile.  Any challenge that comes your way will be addressed with that smile in a calm way.  Sound corny?  It works.

2. Workout Before Work.  Duh.  Get your release before work so you aren’t unloading your pent up frustrations on the job.

3. 24-hour Email Response.  Receive a ridiculous email that deserves a “put you in your place response?”  Give it a day.  They can wait.  I promise your response will look a LOT different after you sleep on it.

4. Just Walk Away.  Sometimes it’s not one particular email or person that sets us off but many tasks or requests piling up.  It’s OK to go outside for 10 minutes and take a breather.  It’s magical how the small tasks feel so much smaller when you arrive back at your desk.

5. It’s OK to Say You Want Time. Everyone wants answers RIGHT NOW.  It’s OK to say you want more time and you will get them an answer within 1-3 days.  Don’t let others pressure you about important topics like career changes or large projects because it’s in their own self interest.  Stand up for yourself and make a well thought-out decision.

MOST IMPORTANT:  48 hours if you still feel as strongly as you did during the initial FREAK OUT! phase about a particular topic, it’s likely your views will not change.  You will need to find a calm way to communicate your stance and stand beside your viewpoint.  The objective is NOT to let someone walk all over you by not communicating how you feel.  The goal is to keep emotion and initial feelings at bay because their interpretation is often questionable.

Truly, the only place to FREAK OUT! is on a dance floor 🙂