No matter how successful the individual, people will always have bad days that impact how they feel and perform at work. Bad streaks can happen quickly or last for lengthy periods of time. Many highly competitive and harried executives have come to my private practice and complained that they have trouble letting the bad days go. Their minds quickly escalate the level of loss from one bad day’s performance slump to losing their job. A common trend with individuals working at this level is that they are always the most critical of themselves for mistakes and poor performance. They realize their mistakes before anyone else does and loss or failure weighs on their minds, limiting the confidence in their ability to work their way out of the setback.
An important part in dealing with a performance or life setback is managing this inner critic. Although you may be quick to launch into negativity, you should also possess the equal ability to view things positively. Take time to stop the tirade of self criticism in your mind and gather some perspective on the bigger picture, and challenge the evidence for your initial negative automatic thoughts. This type of mindset shifting is essential to your future mental wellness. In honor of Mental Health Month, here are some ways to manage that type of thinking so that you don’t have to self medicate your emotions with poor solutions such as alcohol, drugs, or medications.
1. A bad day is just part of the game. It is a meaningless data point in your long career. Losses can be negated over time with better decisions and better days. Think about how long you have been in your career; clearly you possess the skill to have come this far. Even if you are new to the position, there is clearly skill that has helped you travel upwards. There is time to achieve again. This is all a part of the longer season, so why not allow yourself the comfort of realizing that losses can be overcome one day a time?
2. Mistakes are really learning experiences. As was mentioned earlier, executives are their own harshest critic. Focusing on blaming yourself for mistakes or impulsive decisions is not constructive. Instead of negatively bringing yourself down, try to learn about what to do instead or what not to do in the future. Focus on the message or the idea of what you have learned and not the negativity. Every loss is learning for the next opportunity.
3. Continue to make decisions with the same tenacity and conviction. Don’t let fear cause you to abandon decisions that you would normally be sure of. Corporate individuals who feel like they have lost their “edge” because of feeling anxious or fearful must also remember that they have learned a skill and they have many experiences that they can think back to where they overcame setbacks. Insights and strategies that have worked in the past can continue to work as long as they follow through with their decisions with conviction. If you have a strong strategy, discipline, and solid data points to look at, you will ultimately succeed.
DASHA wellness & spa is a luxury lifestyle brand and New York City-based wellness center created to offer a truly holistic approach to wellness. To learn more, visit dashawellness.com.
About the Author: Shannon Russo-Pollack
Shannon Russo-Pollack (SHA) is the Founder of DASHA® and powerhouse behind the DASHA brand. SHA strategically works with medical, wellness and lifestyle professionals who have a like minded philosophy of total body health and well-being. Using her entrepreneur skills, healthy lifestyle and passion for fitness to inspire others.
