Move Past Embarrassment at Work
| You’re going to make mistakes and feel embarrassed at some point in your career. The worst thing to do about it is beat yourself up or tear yourself down. It’s perfectly normal to feel embarrassment and shame—but you can move past the discomfort and emerge from it with confidence. Here’s how. Take a deep breath. If your slip-up is causing you to panic and worry, try to slow down your heart rate by taking deep breaths. Treat yourself with grace and compassion. Remind yourself that everyone makes embarrassing mistakes—and things could have been so much worse. Also keep in mind that we tend to imagine these unfortunate moments as much bigger than they actually are. Own the situation or mistake. Don’t run away from it. If you need to apologize, correct yourself, or clean something up after an embarrassing moment, get to it so you can move on. Embrace levity. Some of our most embarrassing moments are actually funny and relatable—if we’re willing to look at them that way. Every work environment needs more fun. Give it some time, and when it feels right, don’t be afraid to poke fun at yourself. |
| This tip is adapted from “How to Move Past an Embarrassing Moment at Work,” by Lan Nguyen Chaplin |
