How To Keep Your Calm At Work

Have you ever been in a room and said things you immediately regretted? Have you ever said something completely out of the box and received uncomfortable silences at the end? Have you ever received an angry email from your colleague and instantly typed out a rude response? If you have said no to these questions, then we both know the answer is not true! Quite often, we get carried away in conversations and say things we do not want the listener (or reader) to know. Here are a few ways you could hold your tongue and not make a splash in boiling water!

1. Count to ten before you answer 

Have you ever had those moments when you want to just say something really rude? I have and at times like this, I am surrounded by people who are on the superior front. When this happens, what helps me the most is counting from one to ten. This helps me calm down and gather my thoughts. Ten seconds are always the golden rules to staying ahead of a potentially dangerous situation! If counting the straight way does not help, try counting from ten to one. Since this is a tricky thing to do when you are in an already angry mood, the reverse counting can help calm your nerves!

2. Type it out but do not send it off

One of the best ways to vent out all your anger is to type out (or write out) what you are feeling. When I was younger, I would have balls of discarded papers with angry messages to people. I never sent them, but kept them around in case I needed to revisit why I was so angry. Typing out always helps keep you centered and to the point, giving you the much needed break from all the negativity in your head.

3. Create your own happy place 

When you know you are constantly in stressful situations, it is important to carve out your own happy place. Scroll through your phone, read something that makes you happy and listen to music that speaks to your soul. Coffee and music are my happy places, but you can obviously have others! Happy places keep you centered, calm and focused, making you feel good once you are done with the break.

4. Do not let the issue affect you personally 

Despite what you think, not everything in the world is about you. Although the anger or the comment may be directed towards you, it really was not said to you on a personal level. Internalizing has never really done anyone any good and it is not going to do any good to you as well. When situations start taking over your life, take ten steps back and think about how important the fight is and once you realise it really does not need as much credit as you are giving it, it gives you space to evaluate and recuperate.

5. Remember the solution is important, not the problem 

Every time you get stressed out in a situation where there are too many people talking over each other, remember the solution is important and not the situation. Despite the loud voices and the angry reactions, the solution needs to be thought of without losing your calm. Cut off all the voices and keep track of your thoughts. More often than not, it is during situations like these when you can really crack the solution to the situation at hand.

What are some of the ways through which you stay calm during stressful situations? Comment and let us know!