Workdays can be particularly hectic and packed, needing your utmost focus and attention. A bad, irritable or low mood can become a significant impediment in maintaining that concentrated focus on tasks, creating interference in your thought process and perhaps even impacting the way in which you are responding to people and situations. This can prevent you from feeling that sense of accomplishment at the end of your day, further perpetuating a cycle of negativity, disappointment, irritability or anger. It would then likely interfere with what you need to do at home or in your personal relationships or can even impact the ways in which you view your work and your own abilities to be in that space.
Such situations warrant that you find ways to be able to better manage and quickly address that which is creating a sense of lows, sadness, worry or preoccupation. Tackling these states can be the differentiator between yourself and the other person who you may be looking at, who seemingly is able to achieve and close all tasks that come their way and is evidently unfettered by negative or difficult scenarios and commentary that unfolds around them.
The following are some helpful ways in which you can ensure you can quickly snap out of that trough that is emerging during the course of your workday:
Catch it quickly: One key aspect is catching the emergence of a mental state at the earliest possible opportunity. Build an awareness of what the early indicators can be for you which manifest in the form of physical sensations, cognitive processes, emotional experiences or behavioural actions and mannerisms.
Moving away can be helpful: If there is a specific situation which is a trigger, moving away is important. The physical distance from the people and place can create space for you to be able to let go of that which is troubling you and build perspective later.
Engage in a short activity that calms you down: Keep in mind the activities that typically calm you down. This could be a particular piece of music, something you like to read or browse, or a quick short walk, or breathing exercises. Knowing what can allow you to feel a little relaxed can ensure that you can immediately lean into it to seek that support from within your own self.
Ask yourself some questions: Sometimes a distraction alone may not work and you may need to give yourself a quick reminder by asking the right questions. Raise questions like ‘Is this really that important?’, ‘How much can it really change the trajectory of my life?’, ‘Is this really the worst thing that can happen which is what my mind is making it out to be?’
Give yourself positive reinforcements: Remind yourself in such moments of the things you have accomplished and the good that has come your way all along. Holding on to these positive outcomes would allow you to build a more balanced perspective.
A quick chat can help: Build good relations at work. It can be helpful if you have buddies within the organisation you are working at to reach out to and share your experiences with. They not only act as sounding boards, but can help you dilute the situation, look at it from a different standpoint or come up with effective solutions.
Most importantly, what works is holding on to the belief that whatever the current scenario is it would change. There will be a new, different situation that will come up and what is seemingly exceptionally difficult and troubling today, may not feel as disruptive in retrospect when you look at it the next day.
