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Our tech team has launched updates to The Nest today. As a result of these updates, members of the Nest Community will need to change their password in order to continue participating in the community. In addition, The Nest community member's avatars will be replaced with generic default avatars. If you wish to revert to your original avatar, you will need to re-upload it via The Nest.
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Thank you.
Note: This only affects The Nest's community members and will not affect members on The Bump or The Knot.
Have you ever cried at work? :(
I cried in front of my boss today. And a couple of co-workers saw me too as I was heading back to my office. I was feeling backed into a corner on a project and feeling like the expectations were unrealistic and unfair. Now I am feeling really ashamed, embarrassed, and disappointed in myself for losing control and appearing unprofessional.
Plus I still don't know if I can get the project done...
(I'm a young professional - 25. y.o.) 
Re: Have you ever cried at work? :(
i have cried at work countless times. however, my situation is probably different. i teach film, so i cry at the movies i show. my film kids have seen me cry plenty of times. i cried once when i was reading the ending of To Kill a Mockingbird to my freshmen. i cried several times in classes while talking about a student who committed suicide. my administration knew i was really close to her, and when my principal called me into his office to see how i was, i cried in front of him.
being an english teacher and working with teenagers is a pretty emotional job, i guess.
but OP, don't worry. i really think this kind of thing happens to us all. no big deal. just pick up and keep going.
It happens. Don't beat yourself up about it. At this point, do the best you can with your project and the time they've allotted you. If you can't complete it because deadlines are unreasonable, then you get as much done as possible. Express your concerns when you are not feeling as pressured - this will help to avoid the tears. Try speaking to your boss in the morning when you're fresh, or at the end of the day when you can go directly home.
Try your best to avoid crying over deadlines in the future, as this can tell your boss(es) that you can't handle stressful work/tight deadlines.
Unfortunately I have had the same feeling and cried in front of the boss a few times within my career. High stress does that to us. You just act like it didn't happen and move on.
In the future, when you feel yourself getting up there in emotion, simply excuse yourself to use the restroom and take several large breathes to relax. Or if you can't excuse yourself, disconnect from the situation and think about something happy and relaxing (like the beach).
I cried at work when my father called me to tell me my grandfather passed away. Like, big wracking ugly sobs into the shoulder of my co-worker.
I think it's okay. You spend 40 hours a week with these people! Eventually, someone, somewhere has to show some emotion.
As long as you're not that person who cries at the drop of a hat, you'll be fine.
-- Thoughts become things, choose the good ones! --
Sorry, I haven't (Exception: When I went to the office and told them to reassign all of my projects because I was having unexpected brain surgery the next day and I wouldn't be around for an indefinite amount of time. I am still horrified coworkers saw me cry.)
I have seen lots of my younger counterparts cry, though. Just wipe them up, get over it, and move on. I don't see how your tears are relevant to the "I still don't know if I can get the project done" part of your post.
74 books read in 2011
My first job out of college was insane. I cried several times while I was working there. I usually cried in my office, which was pretty much a closet that co workers avoided. The day I left, I walked out, and I was so frustrated with the entire place I just walked out, and everyone say. It was embarrasing, but at that point it was better than cursing at everyone I passed.
Women cry more than men for several reasons. Also, tears relieve the negative feelings you are having.
I have cried at work, only once because of work. It was customer service (over the phone) and a customer wanted me to break a policy, pretty much the only policy my company would never break. He cursed at me, and this company says you can hang up if people curse, but instead I gave him a warning that I would end the conversation if inappropriate language continued. He hung up on me and called the VP (why he didn't start there if he knew her and knew she could break the rules). She lectured me in front of everyone, and it was a high stress time at work. My direct supervisor came over and tried to explain I did everything right and tried to move her into his office. I was so mad at her that I cried. In the end she got in trouble and the customer only proved that I was doing my job of enforcing policies well.
I went to the bathroom, washed my face, took deep breaths, went for a walk for lunch, came back, and everything went back to normal. I was a bit embarrassed on the inside, but acted normally so my CWs did too.
It is ok. It happens. Dust yourself off, reassess when you've calmed down, and discuss it reasonably with your boss. Your tears could have been stress, frustration, disappointment, or he!! those dang hormones.
Yes. I used to work as a customer service manager and our company was in a downturn. I got pulled into a meeting and I was told I had to pick two people to lay off. I had worked with these people for years, I was soo devastated. How do you make that decision without knowing how it would affect people's lives? Stress happens. Just pull yourself together and don't beat yourself up over it. It happens to the best of us. Just focus on one thing at a time and keep working on the project. It will get done, you just have to have faith that it can be done and you are the one to do it.
I work in child care. I've cried a few times in recent months. In early November a 3 yr old bit me on my arm and held on like a pit bull and then last month the same child pulled my hair really hard and wouldn't let go. OMG. I'm SO done with that job. I'm trying to line up work elsewhere and then I'm gone.
FWIW I've substituted there for 2+ years and have been passed over for positions I'm qualified for by others who are less qualified so it's not just about getting physically hurt. Also it's a Head Start so the kids are high needs and I'm burnt out.
It's okay to cry. It happens. Take some time, a few breathes, and go on with your day.
It's okay to ask for help if you're overwhelmed.
Yep. Twice.
My first month of teaching, a student threw a calculator at my head and called me a racist. I ended up crying (not in front of the students) after that class ended.
I went flat out hysterical in my principals office when I discovered a full family of mice running wild in my classroom. I told him, while crying, that I would be teaching in the hall way from then on. He was a retired marine. I think I scared the crap out of him. He didn't know how to deal with a hysterical crying teacher lol. They got maintenance in there ASAP though.
I cried in front of my assistant principal last year. He was talking to me one on one about some parents who had been attacking me and making my life hell. I avoided him for the next few days and I think it's pretty much been forgotten.
Don't beat yourself up over it. It's a hard emotion to stop and it happens to a lot of people.
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I cried once at work when a caller (I'm a dj) yelled at me and called me several horrible, horrible names for something I had absolutely nothing to do with. He had called the night before and yelled at me, but I just gave him the name and number of my boss and told him to call him. The next night is when he called me and unleashed.
I should have hung up on him, but the phone call went from me being polite, to me being a smartass, to me FUMING. Eventually, I told him to 'shut the fuuuck up' and hung up on him. Then I went and bawled in the hallway (in front of my coworkers).
It wasn't my finest moment, but I spoke to my boss the next day and he told me not to worry about it. No one has said anything about it since.
Don't worry about it too much. You're human, and sometimes emotions get the best of you. Put it behind you and keep working hard. Good luck on your project!
I think it depends upon who you cry in front of. I cried in front of my psycho bitter biotch of a boss and it made our tumulus relationship worse, since she now saw me as weak. But at my current job, I cried in front of my boss now and she saw me as overwhelmed and helped me out. It happens, as long as you just pick yourself up and continue along you should be ok.
But you still need to discuss with your boss the issue of your workload. Ask your boss if you can set a time to go over your concerns. Review the timeline, expectations, and results of the project. Always go to your boss with solutions, not just problems. Your boss may not be able to do anything for you, but at least they will know how you feel. Good luck!
Similar. I've cried at work a bunch but I'm a teacher and my job is different than an office job.
I did once in the bathroom. I was embarrassed at the time but looking back I'm surprised I didn't cry more at that job because of how difficult it was. I'm surprised how many coworkers I've seen cry openly at their desk because of stress and make no attempt to keep others from seeing it.
My boss recently cried in front of me and I lost some respect for. I already thought that she wasn't in control of herself and dramatic and that just confirmed my opinion. There wasn't even a real problem, we just had a deadline coming up that we were going to meet and she couldn't take the pressure. Can't wait to be out of there. I think as long as you aren't the boss and it happens less than once a year its not a big deal.
Yes, twice. The first time I was leaving in a week and moving to a new city. My co-worker had said something really nice about me to our boss and it overwhelmed me. I felt sad to leave, scared of what was ahead, and just so upset to leave behind a great job and great people.
The most recent time I was like you, feeling overwhelmed. My co-worker had just quit so I had to take over all the responsibilities and I felt like my boss didn't understand how tremendously hard it was to do another person's job when I already do the job of 3 people. A few tears and a good talk, we were fine.
I've cried on my first day of work. I felt like such a loser. Then I went home and cried almost every night for a couple weeks because I hated that job so much. My fiance told me to put in my two weeks, so I did.
Don't feel ashamed; almost everyone has done this.
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Once. I got a security tag stuck in my foot when I worked retail. It hurt like hell.
I've never cried at work for emotional stuff. I'm the youngest at my office now and that wouldn't look good at all.
Sorry to say it, but yes. My field is brutal and full of frustrations, and a lot of people are cruel when they can get away with it.
Edit: I've never cried at my current job, but that's mostly because the environment is a lot less toxic than at previous jobs.