Young & Ambitious: Dealing With Difficult Moments at Work And Finding Your Zen
Guess who’s back? Amy’s back! Yikes, peeps, this week has been a rough one for me. Working and studying is taxing, but dealing with difficult moments can make everything that much more hectic.
As you know, I’m hard at work trying to make my journalism and broadcasting dreams come true. This week, I had mounds of work to get through and my ideas were shut down twice by my manager. I felt so unmotivated after working for weeks on these ideas. On top of that, I am studying for exams and just can’t seem to see the light. I barely have time for socialising or dating, and this week has definitely felt suffocating. Apparently being an adult is hard, and I can feel the pressure!
If you’re already in the workplace permanently or part-time, you’ve probably dealt with your share of bad days too. Sometimes they come like hurricanes, sometimes they’re out of the blue, and sometimes they’re just expected. Either way, they’re not fun at all and can be quite damaging to your workplace environment and staff morale. It can also affect you negatively, causing worry, anxiety, uncertainty and fear.
After my tumultuous week at work, here’s a few things I learnt to helped me deal with hard moments and bringing myself back to a good mental state:
Practice breathing exercises
Breathing deeply is one of the best ways to regulate your body and calm down. Try breathing in for 5 seconds, holding for 5 seconds, and breathing out for 5 seconds. You could even try the box breathing approach, where you breathe in, hold it, breathe out, and hold it before starting again.
Listen to music
If you can, drown out the bad vibes with your favourite tunes to help relax your pathways. I always keep a calming playlist on my phone for moments when I need a moment of zen.
Go outside for a few minutes
Being outside allows you to centre yourself while getting some fresh air. A change of scenery is extremely helpful in letting your brain and body get out of fight or flight mode.
Consider your next moves
You’re emotional, upset and not in the best state of mind — this is when decision-making is most important. Instead of being hasty and possibly landing yourself in hot water, think the experience through and do what’s best for yourself and your job.
Consider speaking to a manager or HR
If you’re experiencing difficulty in the workplace, consider speaking to a senior you trust, or HR. Your team should be able to provide you with support.
When you’re home
Eat well, get lots of sleep, and try exercising to fuel your body with goodness and energy. Practices like yoga and meditation help calm the brain and body, and even show healing benefits.
Top tip:
If you feel extremely anxious or start experiencing a panic attack, bite a lemon, taste vinegar, or stick your hands in some ice or cold water. The rapid change in taste or sensation helps your brain switch pathways, allowing you to recover quicker.
Finally, if another person is responsible for your bad day, it may be that they’re experiencing a worse time and simply don’t know how to express themselves. Take bullies, for example. Often, bullies experience difficult circumstances at home or elsewhere, and express it by being mean to people at school or in the workplace. Take a moment to consider what the person may be going through, see if there’s an opportunity to connect and get them help. Sometimes you need to forgive them, but try to tell them that what they’ve done hurt you as well.
I hope these tips help you in moments of distress or in tough moments. Remember, there’s light at the end of the tunnel. Robin Williams said, “laughter is the best medicine,” so if you’re having one of those weeks, maybe start your next week by laughing off the bad energy. You’ve got this, superstar!
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