What To Do If You Cry At Work

If you find yourself crying at the office, we recommend the following:

Don't let this happen to you at work!

1. Calmly excuse yourself. Say something like, 'Excuse me. I'll be back in a moment." Then, find a safe place -- probably the rest room or a private office, and wipe away your tears. Take a few deep breaths, and try to compose yourself. It may help to splash a little cold water on your face. What you are trying to do is calm your system down so you can return to the meeting.
2. Once you compose yourself, venture back to the crime scene. As you sit down again, say, "Thank you for giving me a moment." Then continue with the conversation.
3. If you sit down and notice that you keep welling up with emotion, you may need to remove yourself for a longer period of time. In that case, say "I'm sorry but I'm having a hard time hearing this right now. Can we resume this conversation at another time?"
4. Afterwards, do something physical to unhook – go for a walk or go out for lunch so you can clear your head and think about what you’d like to say when you resume the conversation.
5. Try not to make a judgment call about crying. Because tears are considered a sign of weakness in our culture, they are still generally unacceptable in the workplace. This does not mean that you are wrong to cry. It just means that you have to manage this kind of emotional reaction at work.

Sincerely,

Katherine and Kathi 

Bestselling Authors of Working With You Is Killing Me