Managing Your Career Through Tragedy

We all experience tragedy at some point in our lives and 2020 was certainly a tough year for many, including myself. I had several family members contract and thankfully overcome COVID-19. I experienced several other highs and lows, all while continuing to produce excellence at work.

How do you successfully manage the trauma of tragedy and continue to deliver and be productive at work?

First, you must be honest with yourself and not strive to be superman or woman, but be kind to yourself by making your a priority. If you are experiencing or recovering from tragedy (which I know many of us have), consider the following steps to help you manage.

1. Be Transparent

Be transparent with others about what’s happened including your boss. While your first instinct might be to keep personal tragedies private, it’s best to be honest with your boss and / or your staff about what’s going on.

Your first instinct might be to work harder to prove that you can handle everything. This is not the time to so that. Focus on taking care of your needs so you can recover and come back to work better than ever.

While for some, work can be a good distraction to help cope with what you are going through, it’s best to let the people around you know what’s going on and solicit support while you take care of you. Sharing what’s happening will help create a sense of understanding and trust while you figure out what you need.

2. Prioritize Self-Care

When tragedy hits, we tend to go into survival mode, not aware of our needs. When you ignore your needs, you can’t effectively give to others, which can lead to worse results.

Don’t hesitate to take time off or be with your family / support system. Get the support you need to get through your difficult time. “Put Yourself First.” Do what you need to do for you and your family allowing yourself time to recover.

3. Take Advantage of Work Resources

There are often options offered by your employer that can help you, such as counseling where the first few sessions are often free. There are often many other resources available, designed to help get you cope and get through your situation. Some tragedies can change your life forever and you need the tools to help you cope, recover and move forward. Never minimize what you are experiencing and take advantage of the resources available to help.

Other resources available might include vacation, short term leave, short-term disability, etc. Inquire about the resources available to you at work and take advantage of them.

4. Ask for Help

When people ask what you need, tell them. You may not immediately know how others can help, but take the time to think about what you need and don’t be afraid to ask for assistance. Whether it is simply someone to talk to, support resources at work, help at home. It doesn’t matter. Swallow your pride and ask.

It took me going through a significant tragedy in my life to ask for help and I learned who was truly in my corner. What a wonderful gift to know that there were many who genuinely cared about me and my family’s well-being. More than I ever realized. Let go of your ego and ask for help and take it when offered.

To gain more insights about How to Manage Your Career Through Difficult Times listen to the Dream Living Podcast where me and my good friend and HR professional, Terri Thomas share our personal experiences with tragedy and how we managed.

Feel free to share your tips in the comments as well.

Angela Spears is a Certified Career & Executive Coach through Coachville and the International Coaching Federation (ICF). She is the owner of Dream Living with a mission to help you achieve phenomenal results in your Life, Career and Business. To explore how Angela can help you take charge of your career, schedule a free 30-minute initial consultation by clicking the button below.

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