Are you overreacting? When should you seek help?

Admit it, you can remember at least one time when you were overreacting. Something was happening at work (or home but you took it to work) and you lost it.

You went off on a co-worker, yelled at your computer, kicked your desk, or maybe you just started crying uncontrollably. Not very mature ways to handle life but you did it.

What should you do when you know you over-reacted?

When you know you over-reacted for whatever reason, examine whether your actions affected others around you. As you look back at what happened, determine if you owe someone an apology.

If you do, make it a private apology, out of earshot of the others because you want your apology to be sincere. Don’t just try to make yourself look good in front of the rest of the group.

Let the group know that you have realized your mistake by doing your job better and more positively than in the past.

What should you do to avoid overreacting in the future?

Examine the triggers that caused you to overreact:

• Is your body fueling your emotions?
• Were you short on sleep?
• Did you have a quarrel at home?
• Burn your toast?
• Rush out without eating?
• Drink too much the night before?
• Are you having relationship issues?
• Miss a project deadline?
• Overloaded at work?
• Is your body fueling your emotions?

If you are short on sleep, start by analyzing your sleep habits. Was this a one-time event or do you need to fix the sleep cycle? Start by tracking your sleep over a period of a month. Write down when you go to bed, what you ate or drink before bed, when you get up, and total sleep for the night as well as any interruptions in sleep. This will allow you to see a pattern. Sleep is critical to proper functioning so if you are out-of-order here, you may be out-of-order in your entire life.

When should you seek help for overreacting?

If this is common for you, you should seek help from a counselor and make sure you give them the full picture. Choosing a counselor is a project in itself so choose wisely and be ready to change if you are not getting any results.

If you know the specific trigger is your job, then start the process of planning how to change your job. Making changes at work is the first step but when that doesn’t work, you should be ready to leave.

I can help you with that. I firmly believe that everyone should practice proactive career management, meaning your resume should always be up-to-date, you should be networking to learn opportunities in your field, and you should be using current tools like LinkedIn to maximize your networking potential.

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