How to Keep it Professional (When You're About to Lose Your Cool)

How to Keep it Professional (When You're About to Lose Your Cool)

Do you ever have one of those days where it feels like things just couldn’t get worse? First you get stuck in traffic, then you trip and spill coffee all over your new white blouse, and by the time you make it to lunch, you realize you have a presentation in an hour and you are WAY under-prepared. We’ve all been there. So here are some BG approved tips on how to keep it professional when you’re about to lose your cool.

Drink a glass of water: We all know that being around water makes us calm - who doesn’t feel relaxed after a day at the beach? Drinking some H2O can help you out too! Often times, our bodies get dehydrated from consuming too much caffeine or just not having enough water in general, and this can increase our anxiety. So next time you’re getting a little too nervous, take it over to the water cooler and quench that thirst.

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Plan out the rest of your day: When things start piling up, it’s time to take charge of your priorities. Get out a piece of paper and make a cross right in the middle, creating four boxes. Write “Importance” across the top and “Urgency” down the side. Now, fill in everything you need to do based on which box it falls under. Once you’re done, you can see what is of high importance and high urgency, and get those tasks done first. From there, you can check things off as you need to, but you’ll know that you are working smart.

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Come in dressed to impress: Dress for the job you want and not the job you have, right? This comes in handy when you’re stressing over professionalism too. When you look the part, you begin to feel the part, which makes you act and think the part. Sometimes the best way to get over professional stress is just fake it till you make it, and this is one of the best ways! So bring out those new pumps and get to work, girl!

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Use your stress as a motivator: Instead of letting your stress get the better of you, try reframing the issues. When you change the way you think about your stress and make it motivation, you lower your stress levels as a whole. This technique allows you to channel the tenseness in your body and mind the way it was meant to - to help you get things done. Now you can accomplish more and destress even further.

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Take a minute and just breathe: There’s a reason you hear this one all the time - it works! Slowing down your breathing clears your mind and lowers your blood pressure, making it easier for you to get back in the zone. While there are a ton of techniques to try, one we love is the 4-7-8 breath. First, you clear all the air from your lungs and then inhale through your nose while you count to four. Hold your breath for 7, and then exhale through your mouth to a count of 8. Simple and effective.

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When you’re managing your stress, you automatically look more professional. Let us know how these tips worked for you in the comments below!

Written by: Amy Minemier
BG Client + BG Blog Intern
www.linkedin.com/in/amyminemier/