Keep your cool at work - WKRN, Nashville News, Nashville Weather and Sports

Call it the heat of the deadline, but we've all gotten emotional at work. (Fortunately we have the ladies' room!) Sometimes it can be a good thing: A little excitement and passion shows your bosses you care. But getting too worked up could harm your professional image and your relationships with coworkers. Most research shows that the key to keeping calm is recognizing your moods before they take over.

Proper Meals

Make sure you've had enough breakfast, lunch and healthy snacks. It's also important to eat at the same hour every day. Regularity steadies the highs and lows that come with a stressful workday.

Cut Down on Extra Coffee

Though caffeine gets us started in the morning, experts say that it can actually overstimulate you, giving you a false sense of accomplishment -- and those twitchy hands. Instead, stabilize your energy and your moods during stressful periods by eating fruits or protein snacks, such as nuts.

Work Out

When something makes you angry at work, take a quick gym break or run around the block. Exercise is one of the most effective ways to fight stress and head off strong emotions. If you just ignore your frustration, you run the risk of blowing a fuse at work and putting your body through the pressure cooker.

Recognize the Triggers

Keep a list of work scenarios that stress you out and how you can respond to them positively. Thinking things through will help you feel calm and prepared in any sort of crisis."

Shirley Velásquez is an editor and writer at ELLE magazine. She has contributed to Woman's Day, Glamour, InStyle, Latina, The New York Sun, and Border-line Personalities, an anthology of essays written by Latina writers.

Copyright © 2011 Studio One Networks. All rights reserved.