How to Handle Outbursts from Others

When your coworker (or friend or boss or kid or neighbor or anyone) loses it, what do you do? Here are five tips for managing your reaction.

Emotions are a normal part of daily experience and work takes up a big chunk of your life, so… you’ll probably face some intense emotions occasionally during your work day. And since 2020 has been a year of upheaval (and it’s not over yet!), there’s plenty of fodder. You may have had people blow up in your face, break down in tears, or fall to pieces from anxiety. It can derail productivity and leave you feeling drained.

Sometimes, the reaction blindsides you. You just don’t get it. Why such a dramatic response to such a small thing?

Other times, especially if you’re a “highly sensitive person” with a great capacity for empathy, you don’t just notice the outburst but you feel it in your own body. This can be exhausting if you’re surrounded by intense people (or just going through an intense year, like, uh, this one).

Thankfully, most people will calm down within a few minutes, especially if you proactively do one or more of the following things:

Give space.

Let people have their reaction. Don’t try to fix or advise. Don’t try to reason them out of their feelings. If the person is behaving disrespectfully, tell…