How To Stop Beating Yourself Up at Work
Do you find it difficult to stop beating yourself up at work?
I have a client named Keisha who works at a biomedical company as a research analyst. She showed up for one of our coaching sessions in a state of distress. “I can’t stop thinking about something that happened at work this morning,” Keisha told me.
She’d spent hours getting ready for an important staff meeting, with attendees scattered across four continents. Keisha studied the agenda, prepared talking points, arrived early, ready to participate.
But the meeting didn’t go according to plan. Keisha had trouble being heard over more assertive co-workers. When her time came to speak, she felt so anxious that she tripped over her words. Keisha obsessed over what happened during the meeting.
She kept replaying the incident in her mind and being hard on herself. Why didn’t she speak earlier, and why couldn’t she assert herself more effectively? Why did she ramble on and over-explain when she meant to “stick to the script” with her talking points?
Keisha is a perfect example of a Sensitive Striver, which is my term for high achievers who also think and feel everything more deeply. She’s ambitious and holds herself to high standards. But Keisha’s unrealistic expectations of herself can send her into a tailspin of…
