Why Do You Take Your Stress Out on the Undeserving
Your coworker didn't deserve that. You snapped, and it came out of nowhere.
Where did that come from, and how can you avoid it?
Making yourself more comfortable and calm is actually the answer.
Perhaps it's strange to think of comforting yourself when you've just snapped at someone, but here's how it works.
Humans naturally gravitate towards the familiar and the comfortable. We don't like it when things change or someone alters our comfortable environment or container of routines.
Unfortunately, we don't learn or perform at our best inside our comfort zone. Stretching our limits is key to both of these critical activities.
If we push too hard though, or find ourselves too far outside our comfort zone, all our defensive reflexes kick in.
We posture and snap and growl, our normal behavior no longer being regulated by logic.
Stress and outside factors shove us into panic, which turns off our prefrontal cortex. Practicing methods to reengage it, such as counting down from five, can be key to avoiding harsh responses.
Being able to calm yourself and reduce panic is critical to avoid exploding in stressful situations.
#leadership #management #communication