1. Stand up and stretch. A little physical exercise has been proven to help reduce stress. After dealing with a demanding, irate, or unreasonable customer, stand up and stretch. Rotate your neck, flex your back and stretch your legs and arms. This will take just a few seconds and you’ll feel so much better.
2. Give yourself positive self talk. I’m going to sound a bit like Doctor Phil, but I’m willing to do that to make my point. Positive self talk works. A lot of us feed ourselves NEGATIVE self talk when we’re dealing with difficult customers…and we don’t even realize we’re doing it. But when we say thin g s like:
- “I don’t have to put up with this crap!”
- “I ought to hang up on this customer!”
- “I am not paid enough to deal with this…”
Do you think we are making the situation better or worse for ourselves? Of course, we’re making the situation worse.
Replace that negative self talk with positive self talk. Say things to yourself like:
- This person really needs some help.
- I can handle this.
- She’s not angry at me personally.
3. Look out the window. Walk over to a window for just a couple of minutes. Studies show that people who work near a window have 23percent fewer complaints of stress-related illnesses such as headache, back pain, and exhaustion.
4. Laugh. Humor is a wonderful antidote for stress. A good laugh can reduce muscle tension for up to 45 minutes!
Thank you for these tips I’m reading this on my final hour of my 12 hour shift and this seems perfect. I’ll implement them immediately!