Jennifer Newman: 'Emotional first aid' is important in the workplace

Negative feedback, frustration with a colleague, or when things just don't go as planned — these are all circumstances in the workplace that can lead to "emotional bruises," says workplace psychologist Jennifer Newman.

Newman sat down with host Rick Cluff on The Early Edition to explain why psychological injuries in the workplace should be dealt with, and how they can be resolved.

Rick Cluff: What is emotional first aid and why is it important at work?

Jennifer Newman: We put a lot of attention on attending to physical injuries, but less so on emotional injuries. Often workers just wave them off. They tell themselves to get over it and move on. If that works, that's great.

But, there are times when it doesn't. That's when workers need emotional first aid. If the injury is bad enough and you can't 'walk it off', then it needs attention. And, there's a tendency to ignore emotional hurts and they can get worse.

What happens to workers when they require emotional first aid?

It depends on the worker to a large extent and what has happened to them. For example a big one is being yelled or screamed at by your supervisor. When workers are treated abusively, it causes an injury. They'll replay the situation over and over again. They'll re-hash it with colleagues, or go home and tell loved ones what happened.

Another example is being blamed for something, or fighting with a colleague. Some experience being misunderstood as hurtful. The important aspect is the worker's reaction to the event. If they feel upset, ruminate over it and nothing gets resolved, a psychological injury can occur. That's where emotional first aid comes in, to prevent a situation from getting to the point where there's damage.

If a worker experiences something upsetting at work, how can they help themselves?

Realizing something is bothering them is the first step. By bothering, I mean not getting over it. It's common to have something go sideways, and to blow it off and not give it another thought. But, if that's not happening, pay attention.

For example, I worked with a tradesperson who had a few negative encounters with a work mate. The first couple of times he blew it off. Then, when his co-worker wouldn't stop, he found he couldn't ignore it. The more he tried to shrug it off, the more it pre-occupied him.

So, recognizing you need to pay attention is important, what else can workers do?

Tune into any ruminating you may be doing. Rumination, or obsessing over negative events, is a habit. It feels like not being able to stop thinking about the unfair or hurtful thing that happened. Workers will start by thinking about the problem as a way to try to solve it, which is healthy.

For example there was a health worker had a misunderstanding with a colleague. She replayed the situation in her head and realized what happened. She went to her colleague and talked about their miscommunication.

So workers need emotional first aid when they find themselves spinning their mental wheels, which goes nowhere and causes stress.

Ruminating sounds damaging to worker's psychological health?

Yes, that causes stress, and depression. Workers may self-sabotage when they ruminating by using food or alcohol and drugs to cope. High blood pressure and heart problems can come from ruminating as well, and it has a bad effect on colleagues when workers co-ruminate.

That's when two workers talk about the same thing over and over again, and, they don't try to solve the problem. It depresses them both. So it's important to act quickly if ruminating starts.

How can workers deal with ruminating if they see themselves starting down that path?

Tune into the internal dialogue. Listening to the re-hash can be helpful. Sometimes workers may not realize the negative things they're telling themselves.

For example, I worked with a manager who told himself he looked like a fool. He had mishandled a situation with an employee. And, instead of trying to see how he would change things next time, he got stuck in feelings of embarrassment and self-denigration. That's how rumination can work against you.

What else can worker's do if they get psychologically hurt on the job?

Be kind to themselves, treat yourself like you would your best friend if they got hurt. Also, write it down. Some workers find putting things into words helps.

Practice mindfulness, as staying present can help stop rumination. Exercise also helps. You could also identify what you can do about the situation.

For example, I coached a worker who was treated rudely in a meeting. He found himself replaying the incident.  He started feeling helpless, which was warning he needed to act. So, he decided to set-up a meeting with his co-worker who was treated him rudely. He told his co-worker he understood he was frustrated in the meeting, but it can't happen again. His colleague was got a bit defensive, but he felt better after trying to do something.

This interview has been edited and condensed

To hear the full interview listen to the audio labelled: Workplace psychologist Jennifer Newman explains why 'emotional first aid' is important in the workplace