Emotional Breakdown's at Work

What to Do If You Have an Emotional Breakdown at Work

If going to work makes you want to cry, then listen up:  The website Jezebel.com has a step-by-step list of what to do if you have an emotional breakdown and actually DO start crying at work.

Step #1.)  Leave the Room.  If you start sobbing at a meeting, don't try to fight through it.  Excuse yourself, and go somewhere else. --The logical place to go is the bathroom, but it's not really that private.  So you're supposed to go outside instead, and try to walk it off.  Or if you need to be by yourself, go sit in your car.

Step #2.)  Compose Yourself.  Don't go back in until you do.  Get your mind off whatever it is you're upset about by thinking of something mundane and totally off-topic . . . like Christmas shopping or sports.  It works if you're really ANGRY too.

Step #3.)  Offer a Short Explanation.  Don't just pretend nothing happened, but don't get too in depth about it either. --If you can, keep it about business and say something like, "Obviously I have strong feelings about this issue."  Otherwise, just be vague and apologize. --But according to Jezebel, you shouldn't blame it on being sleep-deprived or stressed out, because it can make you seem even more unprofessional.   --If you got tragic news or something, then obviously you don't have to apologize.  But you still might want to let everyone know what's going on.

Step #4.)  Move Past It.  Once you address it, don't bring it back up or apologize more than once.  It just reminds everyone what happened, and makes it look like you can't move on.

Step #5.)  Don't Make It a Habit.  This goes without saying, but it's hard for people to take you seriously if you start crying as soon as you get negative feedback. --On the other hand, if your job . . . or your boss . . . consistently makes you cry, you might want to starting looking for a BETTER job.  (Jezebel.com)