Emotions At Work
Emotions at work 👀
*In the office* we have definitely experienced an array of emotions from excitement, nervousness, pride, and frustration to disappointment.
Emotions happen when a deadline gets moved, a co-worker takes credit for your work, or your boss finds mistakes in your deliverables. Emotions arise when someone appreciates your contribution to the team, or you’re presented with new project opportunities.
Emotions are everywhere, including at work, so why don’t we talk about this more often?
Recently, we discovered Liz & Mollie’s book, No Hard Feelings: The Secret Power of Embracing Emotions At Work (they have a newsletter too!). They suggest that acknowledging and embracing emotions is essential for a better workplace. This doesn’t mean unleashing a “feelings firehose.” Instead, we should move away from the idea that we need to suppress any emotions felt in order to be professional—we are all emotional creatures both in and out of the office, and that should be okay.
No matter the emotion you’re feeling, big or small, good or bad, you’re not alone. We can work through many of these emotions by communicating—offering and soliciting feedback from co-workers. What are you feeling? Can others help you or can you help others? What are the next steps? We can make it actionable.
As we enter a new work week, we’re challenging ourselves to note down any strong emotions that might arise. Once we pin point what we are feeling, reflect on what we can do next and whether we should reach out. Albeit happy emotions should simply be embraced!
