Stay grounded when others are stressed

What:

Not losing yourself in others’ stress

Why:

In HR jobs we often have difficult conversations with others. Whether we have to stay calm when our colleagues have endured some really difficult situation, or whether we have to tell a colleague a difficult message. It is important that we stay close to ourselves and our own emotions during these difficult conversations.

How:

There are three steps to this:

1. In order to not lose yourself during a difficult conversation you can practice focus meditations regularly. This will help you focus and stay grounded when things get difficult. Just like preparing what you want to say, you are preparing your body and mind to react in a supportive way.
2. Before you go into a difficult conversation (if you know before hand) you can do a breathing space. Taking the three steps of Acknowledging, Gathering and Expanding before you start the conversation.
3. During the conversation you can be aware of your own reactions – your own emotions and thoughts. You can acknowledge that they are there while not needing to respond out of them. You can also take a grounding posture, feet on the floor, back upright and make sure your breath is steady.

Tip:

Know that it is ok to react to difficult situations, you do not need to be stoic, having emotions is normal and when we treat them right, our emotions can often help us be more effective and helpful in difficult conversations.