Does nothing seem to go right in the office? Has that led to an unusual freak-out or emotional meltdown in front of the staff? According to recent research, the key to bouncing back quickest and getting co-workers to understand better is to tell everyone you freaked out because you are just that passionate about your work.

Quote from The Science of Us:

“There are times when the best of us lose our tempers at work, slamming doors or bursting into tears in view of the entire office. (Wouldn’t know personally, but I hear things.) In one moment, it feels like catharsis; in the next, it feels a lot more like embarrassment or regret. And yet, if a new paper is to be believed, there is a stupidly simple way to save face here: Tell everyone you freaked out because you are just that passionate about your work.”

Researchers call this “emotion reframing.” In a workplace context, it’s reframing an office meltdown as a natural consequence of your dedication to the job. According to a Harvard Business School paper, co-workers understand and support you if you explain that the reason you’re upset or unhappy is because you’re so passionate about what you do, versus just being sad and not explaining, or by trying to explain your feelings away as you just being emotional.

Also, according to the paper, telling yourself that the reason this gets you down is because you actually do care about what you’re doing will help you get back up and try again sooner, or look for a better solution to the problem. For more, click the link below.

VIA | The Science of Us, “How to Have an Emotional Meltdown at Work and Get Away With It”
VIA | Harvard Business School “Managing Perceptions of Distress at Work”
HT | Lifehacker.com

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