How to deal with anger and frustration? It literally is a million-dollar question as people spend big-money seeking help outside, but the answer could be within you. When it comes to the workplace if you let your emotions take-over, especially the anger, nothing good comes out. Most people have learned it the hard way of how workplace anger yielded nothing but cost them everything, including their reputation. Let us not be the ones who learned it the hard way. With that note, we have discussed some thoughts about managing your workplace anger through simple, productive ways.

When it comes to workplace anger:

You might have heard people saying ‘showing anger and being tough’ will make people perform. Well, maybe to a certain extent, but when you see the big picture, it ends up in people moving away from you. Anger, if expressed in a better way, will make people understand what went wrong and realize what they did. It all comes down to how well you manage your anger and get productive results out of it. Before that, understand what the Workplace anger could do to you.

If you don’t control and manage your workplace anger, it will:

Cloud your judgment.

Make you take irrational decisions.

Get you into verbal-fights.

Not allow you to think past the problems/issues with the person even though he/she is a good individual.

Could extend outside the workplace too.

Make you drop focus from the important issue.

It makes you overthink. You will feel that everything is about you & everybody is talking bad about you.

Make you speculate unwanted things.

Brings you frustrations

People make you angry. It is common, and it happens to everyone, So, How do we deal with it? How do we deal with workplace anger effectively?

Your workplace is filled with people ‘like’ you and people ‘not like’ you. Not everyone aligns with your vibes. You cannot expect them too. They are trying to sail through the workplace, the same as you. This simple thought could help you manage and control your anger. People are different. Don’t hesitate to be the first one to reach out and try to adjust. If people are still who they are, even after positively reaching out to them, it’s not your problem anymore.

20 simple steps to manage anger effectively in the workplace

In the beginning, it will be difficult to overcome anger and frustration in your workplace, especially for freshers and young talents. Take these simple steps of effectively managing your anger as a start. It will help you over time in positively managing your emotions.

Fear of acceptance:

It’s a common issue faced by freshers, interns, and new joiners. This insecure feeling of wanting to get accepted into the group will make you angry even without your knowledge. Your team is important. Move friendly with them, but don’t give in to the ‘fear of acceptance’.

Don’t be a People Pleaser:

You will start to expect more from people, and you’ll be in constant need of appreciations from your surroundings. If things go out of your expectation, you will feel a kind of frustration and get angry.

The person could be hurting inside:

People at work could be dealing with personal issues. They could be hurting inside. It is always reflected through angry behaviors. It will annoy you. Manage your anger by not reflecting it. They could apologize to you in some time and even say the reason.

Give Space:

People might not know how to convey things the right way. People could also find it difficult to take something that you are trying to convey. Give space for people. Listen to what they are trying to say. Be clear in what you want to say. You could avoid conflicts.

Identify the ‘Guilt-Tripping’:

People show anger and find fault as a shield to cover their guilt. They will guilt-trip you to find peace for what they did wrong. This will definitely make you angry and act out. Manage it.

The cliché idea:

It’s what everyone says, but it is very useful too. Remove yourself from the place when you know you will act out. It’s an excellent way to manage your anger.

Cafeterias:

Order your favorite food and enjoy it. The anger will cool down in no time. You might even realize what went wrong despite anger-strikes from the boss. The nice aroma from cafeterias will make you forget the anger in a jiffy.

Never Hold-on to the anger:

The best way to manage workplace anger is to ‘never hold on’ to it. Discussions and ideas differ, and problems do come with co-workers, but you should leave it within the cabins. Taking it on a personal level will make you hold on to the anger.

Be the First:

At least for your peace-of-mind, be the first to get down. Apologize. Clear the air with your team and make sure everything’s okay.

Shy People:

Sometimes people feel embarrassed to face the opposite person after acting out in anger and realizing their mistake. It will not justify the person’s behavior but learn to recognize this type of nature. It’s not ego, and it could be guilt. They’ll be very happy when you approach first. They’ll apologize immediately.

Get Dramatic:

It’s like how they show in the movies. Imagine your favorite movie clips, favorite person, or any song that comes to your head immediately. Try this when you feel like your anger is getting high. It helps.

Music:

People making you angry? Couldn’t cool down yet? Then listen to music. It will ease your anger.

Write:

Writing is a wonderful way to let your anger out in a positive way. If it is your workplace, you can convey your concern in an email to the person. Personal journal writing is an excellent way to manage your anger.

Don’t be critical of your team’s work:

Instead of criticizing your team member’s work, you could lend them a hand. Don’t get angry with the mismanaged-work. Instead, try to help your team in fixing it.

Bubble’s Break:

Work will not always be perfect, and you will not always get your desired results. Challenging situations will happen all the time. Manage your emotions. Don’t get upset when things don’t go according to your plan.

You could be better than them:

Don’t get angry when faced with unnecessary criticisms, targeted-anger, and such. It’s because you could be better than them. Jealousy makes people act unusually, especially through anger. Pass the situation calmly.

Work under pressure:

Train yourself to handle challenging last-minute situations or big changes with the help of your team. Unable to handle pressure could easily frustrate you and trigger anger.

Anger is not controlled:

Forget the idea of using anger to get productive results, take control, or show what’s right. It’ll only make you look bad. It’s a common mistake people make.

Confront in a Positive-way:

You will feel better when you are confronted with your mistakes privately. The same goes for others too. Positively confront people.

Some people don’t learn:

It’s not your job to teach everyone how to behave.

Dealing with workplace anger could be challenging. The anger will make you feel that it’s right. Before you act out, think that it’s always easy to show your anger, but it’s very difficult to put things back to how it was. Keep one thing clear; never let the anger reach verbal. It’s always the hardest part to overcome. Managing anger in your workplace could get easy with the ideas and tips we shared here. Even people in the ’80s are in pursuit of ‘managing their anger.’ So, it’s a life-long lesson that we should keep perfecting every day.