Common reasons for tears at work include bullying, overwork, team conflict, fear of change, working in an emotionally-demanding role. But it could also be that your team member is struggling with an issue that is not work-related. You need to approach the situation with tact, empathy and emotional intelligence.
Crying at work is complicated. We're humans, so it's inevitable. But that doesn't mean it's always easy or everyone feels comfortable doing it. According to a 2018 survey, 45% of people have cried at work and for a myriad of reasons—stress, anger, frustration, grief, overwhelm—sometimes all of it, all at once.
Emotional outbursts at work could be due directly to work-related matters or to stressors from our personal life spilling into our work life. Handling our emotions (particularly negative ones) at work is often seen as a measure of our professionalism.
I can see you're crying. Would you like to take a break or keep going? It's up to you.” This neutral language gives the person a chance to take a second and claim some privacy. You can also say: “I'm going to stop our conversation for a second to check in with you.
Crying has nothing to do with mental toughness, and everything to do with biology. Myth: Crying makes you look weak and hurts your professional reputation. Fact: Research shows that crying doesn't typically hurt your professional standing. It's all in how you handle it and respond.
Crying is often prompted by feelings of helplessness, and occupational health professor Gail Kinman says “frustration” is the most common cause she sees of office tears. If you're overwhelmed by your workload, it's easy to be swept up in feelings of desperation – cue the waterworks.
Empathy, compassion, physical pain, attachment pain, and moral and sentimental emotions can trigger these tears. They communicate your emotions to others. Emotional tears make you feel more vulnerable, which could improve your relationships.
Long work hours, lack of appreciation, and low job satisfaction can cause mental exhaustion and affect productivity. And when you're exhausted, you're more likely to make erros at work. The tendency to procrastinate increases. It has a negative impact on your ability to work effectively.
Emotional exhaustion, or burnout, has been defined as “a state of emotional, mental, and physical exhaustion caused by excessive and prolonged stress.” If employees are in this condition, it can lead to poor performance and bad customer experiences.
Making the decision to step away from a job is not always easy or feasible. But when your physical or emotional well-being is suffering and your stress isn't eased by the occasional mental health day, experts say it's generally best to start looking elsewhere. Just be sure to give it some thought before rage quitting.
It may be time to quit your job when you're no longer motivated to complete your daily tasks, feel overworked or burnt out, or want to move beyond your current position into a more advanced one. These are a few signs that it may be time to quit your job and get a better one that more effectively meets your needs.
Potential Triggers of Work Depression
Depression can impact your ability to perform your job well, and stress at work can also contribute to a person becoming depressed. Some work-related triggers that can cause major depression or stress include: A high workload. Being asked to do things outside your competency level.
Back to your situation: your emotional response could be the result of a number of triggers, including anxiety during the interaction, self-consciousness, or embarrassment at the attention. What are you thinking about when you're talking to authority figures?
People are often told they shouldn't cry at work. For women especially, shedding tears can be seen as a sign of weakness. But crying is a normal biological response to stress, frustration, or sadness.
Crying at work can be more than embarrassing—it can hurt your career. Elizabeth Baily Wolf discusses a technique to reframe distress as passion. New research suggests that if you break out in tears in front of supervisors or colleagues, you have a chance to recover. The key: reframe your distress as passion.
The gestures you make should generally match whatever you give the person on a normal basis. If you've never hugged the person you're comforting, then don't go beyond putting a hand on their shoulder, or an arm around it. If they're someone you hug regularly, then give them an embrace.
Stay calm
Don't let your nerves, frustration, or melancholy get the best of you. Feel free to verbalize your emotions, but try not to put them on display. Keep an eye on your body posturing so that you don't come across as aggressive or upset. Stay positive and be open to what your boss has to say.