5 Ways to Stop Taking Things Personally at Work

Navigating workplace interactions can be challenging, especially when it comes to managing our emotional responses. Taking things personally at work can happen to us automatically and without thought, but it can also significantly hinder our productivity and damage our relationships. Learning how to let go and not taking things personally can radically improve your career and well-being. Let's explore five effective strategies on how to do this!

1. Build a Sense of Humour

Developing a sense of humour about yourself and your work can be a powerful antidote to taking things personally. Research from the University of California, Berkeley, suggests that self-deprecating humour can increase likability and strengthen social bonds.

Practice Tip: Start small by sharing a funny work-related mistake you made with a trusted colleague. Learning to laugh at yourself in low-stakes situations can help you build this skill over time.

2. Learn to Laugh at Yourself

The ability to laugh at yourself goes hand in hand with not taking things personally. It demonstrates confidence and emotional intelligence. A study in the European Journal of Psychology found that self-directed humour was associated with higher levels of self-esteem and psychological well-being.

Practice Tip: Create a "blooper reel" of your minor workplace mishaps. Reviewing these occasionally can help you maintain perspective and find humor in your imperfections.

3. Tolerate and Learn from Criticism

Viewing criticism as valuable feedback rather than a personal attack is crucial for professional growth. Research from Harvard Business School shows that individuals who seek out and act on constructive criticism tend to be top performers in their organizations.

Practice Tip: After receiving criticism, write down three specific, actionable steps you can take to improve based on the feedback. This shifts your focus from feeling hurt to proactive problem-solving.

4. Develop Emotional Intelligence

Emotional intelligence (EI) is key to not taking things personally. Daniel Goleman, a pioneer in EI research, emphasizes that individuals with high EI are better able to manage their emotions and interpret others' behaviours accurately.

Practice Tip: Practice empathy by regularly asking yourself, "What might be going on in this person's life that could explain their behavior?" This helps shift your perspective from personal to contextual.

5. Create Healthy Boundaries

Setting clear boundaries helps prevent you from becoming overly invested in workplace dynamics. The Harvard Business Review reports that employees with strong personal boundaries are more productive and experience less stress.

Practice Tip: Identify your non-negotiables at work and communicate them clearly. This might include not checking emails after a certain hour or declining non-essential meetings.

By implementing these strategies and continuously practicing not taking things personally, you'll find yourself more satisfied, resilient, and successful in your professional life. This is a skill that develops over time, so be patient with yourself as you cultivate this powerful mindset, and have some fun with it!