Use self talk to overcome barriers

We often stumble in our attempts to deal with negative emotions in the workplace out of fear we’ll do or say the wrong thing. Often, managers avoid approaching a worker who’s distressed because they feel they may make the situation worse or say something inappropriate. Instead of acting, they hope the situation will resolve itself – this is rarely the case. Often, what we tell ourselves about our skills and abilities, in other words our ‘self-talk,’ is our biggest barrier to approaching a distressed worker.

Bookmark

Share on

Think about an emotionally charged situation that was particularly difficult for you. Identify your thoughts (worries, fears and insecurities) before and during the situation. What was your worst-imagined scenario about how things would go? How did the situation actually turn out?

Situation:

Thoughts that arose:

Worst-imagined scenario:

How the situation actually turned out:

Next time you approach a distressed worker, use self-talk to your advantage. Remind yourself our initial thoughts are often inaccurate and somewhat catastrophic and that the worst-imagined scenario rarely occurs. Rather than focusing solely on worst-case scenarios, use positive self-talk to recall your many successes in challenging situations.

Use self talk to overcome barriers

Related articles

Article tags

Comments