My Crazy Office | K Squared Enterprises

My Crazy Office

My Crazy Office is a weekly workplace podcast dedicated to helping listeners navigate their careers. Executive coach Kathi Elster and career therapist Katherine Crowley combine their expertise to solve both serious and silly situations at work. Join Kathi and Katherine as they answer real workplace questions with solid advice and a side of humor. Do you have someone or something at work that’s driving your crazy? Send your questions to info@mycrazyoffice.co. (All submissions kept confidential.)

What’s happening RIGHT NOW?

January 20, 2012

Sometimes the best way to reduce stress at work is to stop for a moment and ground yourself in the present moment. Yes, you’ve got deadlines looming. Yes, your inbox is full of unread emails. Yes, there’s a client or coworker or boss who’s pressuring you. But what is happening RIGHT NOW?

Right now, you may be sitting at your desk or traveling to work or buying a cup of coffee. Right now, it’s 8 o’clock or 10 a.m. or 2 p.m.. Right now, you may be sitting or standing or walking somewhere. Right now, you can take a deep breath, look around you, feel your feet on the ground, and BE PRESENT.

RIGHT NOW – this is your point of power. Not racing forward with worry or looking backward with remorse; not rehearsing or rehashing conversations with people who aren’t in the room. Not obsessing about what you have or haven’t accomplished.

Breathe. Land in your body. Take in your surroundings. Notice what is right in front of you. Then see what you can do RIGHT NOW.

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Do you unhook?

January 19, 2012

Unhooking is a system for changing your reaction to emotionally upsetting circumstances at work. It could be a difficult coworker, a demanding boss or an impossible client. To unhook, you have to stop waiting for the other person to change, and start taking back your power. The first step in unhooking is physical.

Unhook physically by taking actions to release the negative energy stored in your body from dealing with someone else’s bad behavior. Methods for unhooking physically include washing your face, taking a walk, playing sports, working out, doing yoga or simply breathing slowly and deeply. Try it today. If you feel your head throbbing, your neck aching, your stomach churning or your arms tingling, do something physical to unhook. You’ll be glad you did.

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You’re probably right

January 18, 2012

You’re probably right: That coworker you work with is incompetent. The employee you manage does have a bad attitude. Your boss should appreciate how hard you work. And your company isn’t paying you enough.

Now that we’ve established how right you are, what’s next? You can congratulate yourself for being right. But that affords limited satisfaction. Your situation won’t improve until you do something different. Sorry. It’s not fair. But your attitude is what will change your reality.

So accept that you are right, and get ready to respond to the difficult people at work differently.

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Good days, Bad days

January 17, 2012

Some days start off well and glide by seamlessly. Other days are stressful from the start. If your workday looks like the former, take a moment to really enjoy the ease of it all. Appreciate your work environment and savor your interactions. If your workday is the latter (highly stressful), take many moments throughout the day to B-R-E-A-T-H-E. Breathing is the easiest way to calm your mind and soothe your nervous system. Breathe in deeply (counting to three), hold the breath briefly (counting to three), and breathe out slowly (counting to six). Do this until you feel your body calm down. Breathing won’t solve everything, but it will help. Try it and see.

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Are you hooked?

January 13, 2012

We say that if you’re having a consistently strong negative internal reaction to someone or something at work, then you’re “hooked.” It could be as trivial as a coworker constantly clearing his throat or as weighty as a manger’s verbal attacks. Once you’re hooked, that person’s behavior becomes a constant source of distraction and distress.

Today, consider whether you’re hooked by someone at work. Is there someone who the mere sight of gives you agita? Does the sound of his or her voice jangle your nerves? Do emails from this person sour your day? If so, take a deep breath and know that you can improve the situation.

Start by admitting you’re hooked, then stop waiting for the other person to change. Know that as you change your reaction to this person, you’ll change the relationship.

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