In 2021, I experienced one of the most vulnerable moments of my professional career. It was a typical Tuesday afternoon, and we were in the middle of an important team meeting. As we discussed our project’s progress, a senior colleague yelled at me in front of my coworkers. I felt a wave of emotion rising, and before I could stop it, tears welled up in my eyes. I ran outside and wept uncontrollably. I was embarrassed for weeks. I am sharing the three lessons I learned from that fateful day. If you cry in the presence of your colleagues, for whatever reason, treat yourself with compassion. Those difficult situations are a normal part of life and are not a reflection of who you are. Allow yourself some space next time. If you feel like crying, request a pause and find a private place to process your emotions. Sometimes, changing your environment and taking deep breaths can help ease your reaction. Once you have fully expressed yourself privately, compose yourself and get back to the office. Finally, rather than denying your emotions or catastrophizing the situation, acknowledge them. Don’t forget, expressing emotions is human, but it’s how you handle your reactions that counts.

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