Stop Emotions from Eroding Your Professionalism

At work, we encounter many instances where our professionalism gets challenged. There is always that person whom we are not enthused to work with for reasons such as mutual dislike, jealousy, or simply getting on each other’s nerves for reasons we can’t explain. Putting all these emotions behind you is not easy, but it’s necessary that we always display professionalism.

There will be times when work gets too stressful. With deadlines that we have to meet and meetings that we have to attend to, we can just feel our patience slowly thinning out. When this happens, we are prone to become more emotional towards dealing with those we work with. As a personal brand or business, we can never let emotions that will rouse trouble to get in our way. Everything that we do and say reflects on our brand and business. If we maintain a professional attitude when necessary, we avoid bad brand reputation.

Letting our emotions loose at work can also decrease productivity and create an unpleasant work environment. It’s not just the two of you who gets affected, but even those who are working around you. Others might get involved even when they don’t want to.

How then do we prevent our emotions from getting in the way of work and maintaining professionalism?

Here are some things that you can do:

Get the right mindset – when you know that you are going to talk or need something from that person you don’t get along with, prepare your mind for it. Imagine the worst scenarios over and over, and that whatever happens, you will not let your emotions get in the way. Instead, focus on the things that will be best for the job. If the other person lets an unprofessional comment slip, be the bigger man and disregard it. Expecting the worst thing that the other person can do to you at work will make it easier for you to handle your emotions.

Instead of thinking - the customer is always right; ask yourself – am I attracting and selecting the right customers– you can choose who your customers are. Here’s where planning is key.  Is your messaging and marketing speaking to that ideal target customer?  If you’re getting many customers who are driving you crazy, then look at your messaging and marketing. What are you doing or saying that’s attracting them?

Settle misunderstandings amongst yourselves – when you feel that things are about to get out of hand, try to calm down and find a way to settle your misunderstanding. This is going to be for the good of your work environment. Talk in private. If there’s no chance for the two of you to become friends, at least maintain a good working relationship. If the two of you want to keep working together, you both have to be professional about it. It’s not easy, but someone has to show that they are willing to maintain a professional working relationship with the other.

Find ways to release some of that bottled up emotion – if you want to maintain calmness and professionalism, you have to find a way to let your emotions out the right way. We are only human and the emotions that we keep to ourselves always find a way out. We don’t want it to come out when we are stressed or tired, because this may cause a situation that can quickly spiral out of our control.

Right now – stop and think of five things that you enjoy doing and know will help you “blow off steam” so that you are in the right frame of mind to get centered again.

It’s always important to maintain professionalism although it can be tough.  There are emotions and then emotionally charged words that can fuel the fire.  Words like “manipulate” or phrases like “insult to my intelligence” are like pouring pure gasoline onto any situation.  Unless you’re ready to just “burn that bridge” with someone – then carefully consider and refrain using emotionally charged words and phrases.

Direct Selling Moms - 3 Tips To Focus

In a study conducted by the American Sociology Association (ASA), they found that working moms multitask more than their counterparts. They also found that the experience is more negative for moms.

The study found that moms multitask 10 hours more in a week compared to dads. When parents were asked about how multitasking made them feel, most moms said that the experience was negative for them, while dads saw it as a more positive experience. The study also found the discrepancy in multitasking activities among moms and dads. When moms multitask at home, they engage in childcare or housework activities. Dads, on the other hand, engage in activities like talking to a third person or self-care.

As working moms, we have a responsibility at home and at work. Most of the time work gets sacrificed because of the things we have to do for our family. When we are running our own business, all the more that we need to stay focused on our goals, and at the same time, our family.

Here are 3 tips on how to stay focused on your business, and at the same time, be happy with your life:

Time management – So little time, so much to do. The moment you wake up in the morning, your mind starts thinking about all the things you need to do for the day. In order to be productive, you need to get into the habit of managing your time properly. Use a planner or calendar and list down all the important things you need to do for the week. Then write down the small things, like grocery or laundry, school meeting, etc. Scheduling your time and strictly following it will let you stay on top of things.

With your busy schedule, you cannot rely on your mental notes alone. In fact that “mind clutter”, will often work against you. Get rid of it!  Once you get into the habit of reducing everything into writing and scheduling it for yourself, you will have a more organized week. Time budgeting is just or even more important than financial budgeting. It’s vital for you to know the “real time” it takes you to get tasks done.  Underestimating your time investment in tasks only leads to frustration and failure.

Your own home office – Setting up your own office will help you focus on your business. If you don’t have an extra room that you can use at home, at least find a spot that you can call your own. Once you find your spot, let your household know about it. Let your kids know that they can’t play with your computer or printer. Having your own office will give you freedom to do your work. If you can find the quietest spot in your house and set up your office there, all the better. This way you can concentrate on work when it’s time to do work.

Ask support from your family – having a family is about support and teamwork. The demands of life will always get to you but the battle will be worth it when you know you have your family’s support. Communicate with your husband and ask him if both of you can take turns in taking care of your children. Find ways on how you two can maximize your full potential both at work and at home. If you have teenage kids, communicate with them as well. Tell them about what you do so that they will understand. If you have your family’s support, it will be easier to juggle your time between your family and business.

There are no shortcuts to success. We have to make time for our family and business if we want to be successful in both. We have to stay focused on our business goals and at the same time be here for our family. Adopting time management practices will help us stay on top of things. This will increase our productivity and help us become more efficient. Setting up our own office at home also increases productivity and helps us focus on the things that we need to work on. And lastly, success is easier to achieve and tastes significantly sweeter when your family supports you all the way.