Everyone has been there. Feeling let down when you realize that all your hard work didn’t go to waste, and you didn’t receive what you wanted. Maybe the project you’ve been working on for months was abruptly canceled for weak reasons. Or perhaps your best pal at work has changed jobs.
Although some people are better equipped to deal with intense feelings, others are not, and as a result, they make unfavorable choices. That’s why we have some real advice or tips on how to deal with disappointment at work. These will definitely help you to deal with disappointments and become stronger.
How to Deal with Disappointment at Work?
Any setback in one’s work life is a disappointment, and learning to deal with setbacks in a healthy way is crucial to one’s career development. So here are 9 tips or suggestions from our side to deal with disappointments:
1) Talk About It To Someone
Venting about the subject facilitates the processing of your thoughts around the circumstance. Additionally, it helps you feel better after venting. Find someone who will let you vent, is a good listener, and is trustworthy. The purpose of this is simply to get it out.
You could use some form of artistic expression as a way to process these difficult feelings. For example, do something active like going for a long run or write in a notebook to help you focus on the present moment. The goal is to learn to control your feelings and thoughts by allowing yourself to experience them and then let go of all of them, not just the unpleasant ones.
2) Act Calmly
Bad news often arrives out of the blue, and when it does, it’s tempting to take your frustrations out on whoever brings you the news or whoever you perceive to be responsible for the bad news. Do not participate in any kind of disruption or open antagonism; these actions will only hurt your reputation and your job.
Respect is the key to accomplishing this. Disagreement need not create figurative barriers between individuals. Do not insult or attack the other individual. If you must criticize something, criticize concepts without turning them personal.
3) Look At The Person’s Perspective
Consider what your supervisor may have been considering when making a certain decision. Consider that external factors, such as a budget or new hiring procedures, may be influencing corporate policy. Having a new viewpoint can assist you in imagining how your talk with your supervisor might go.
4) Be Honest & Show Your Emotions In Right Way
Our displeasure is evident in our faces, voices, and even how we walk. People will recognize your disappointment, so be straightforward about it. Do not reveal information that you are not comfortable revealing, but answer pertinent inquiries with openness and kindness.
It is preferable to declare you are unable to answer a question than to make one up. When you bluff, people will be able to tell since your words and actions will not line up, decreasing their faith in you and your coworkers.
5) Avoid Making Rash Decisions
Similar to the impulse to lash out at others, the tendency to make impulsive decisions exists. Elevated emotions and possibly tempers are present. Do not let your compulsions control your behavior.
It may seem pleasant at the moment to undercut whatever or whoever is causing your unhappiness or to throw in the towel, but doing so would be extremely shortsighted.
6) Disappointment Sometimes Can Be A Good Thing
If you look at setbacks as opportunities for growth, you can transform the frustration you feel into motivation to make changes in the future. This requires a shift in perspective. You can’t just shrug off the whole thing as a failure anymore, and you can’t just wallow in your misery and shame, either.
Realistic expectations and a well-thought-out plan for reaching your goal can be developed through some introspection and an honest evaluation of the facts.
7) Communicate With the Boss Or Your Senior
After you’ve had time to collect your thoughts, schedule a meeting with your superior to discuss the comments made. To make the most of the meeting, mention that you’ve already read the comments and are eager to talk about how to improve in the future. This can alleviate your or your supervisor’s anxiety regarding a challenging talk.
Keep an open mind during the conversation, and do your best not to be defensive. If you have received unexpected feedback, now is the time to request that your supervisor provide you with feedback the moment moving forward. Additionally, you can describe how it felt to hear the feedback in this fashion.
8) Get Over It
The time it takes to recover from a severe disappointment varies greatly. Get over your sadness as soon as possible. Recognize the things you can’t alter, find ways to deal with them, and proceed with your life. Demonstrate that you are strong and can bounce back.
Although misery loves company, no one enjoys being around it. People will avoid you if you wallow in your misery for too long. Seek expert help if you find that you are unable to recover from your loss within a fair amount of time.
9) Look For The Future
Some setbacks are simple to deal with, and time and acceptance usually heal the wounds. However, it’s important to figure out what you’ll do after experiencing a major setback. Do not, we repeat, make any hasty choices.
Bottom Line
Use comedy to deflect attention if you cannot immediately get out of the situation. Or, when you get the opportunity to be alone, take it to think about what transpired and consider your next steps. You do not want to become mired in resentment, sadness, and self-blame. And surely the 9 tips we mentioned on how to deal with disappointment at work will work & help you get over it.
Thank you for reading!