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mentally draining, managers and owners can give validation to baristas and comfort them by recognizing their struggles. A simple acknowledg- ment makes a world of difference between feeling isolated and feeling supported and validated. TAKE CARE OF YOURSELF FIRST Eli struggled with depression and anxiety for weeks before he was able to take a step back and recognize that he needed to accept these feelings as real. "Understanding my emotions was like putting on a life vest," he says. By acknowledging his emotions, Eli was better able to relate with customers and his staff. "You don't always have to answer the question, 'How are you?' with, 'Good.'" Once he was able to be honest, Eli felt empowered to help craft and create an environment that helped others. He rightly assumed that if he was feeling these insecurities, other baristas were experiencing them, as well. "Sixty-two percent of people have experienced emotional instability at work," Talor mentions, citing a study then-Sprudge writer Alex Bern- son conducted in 2013 polling baristas about their physical and emotion- al well-being. Going back to the life vest: Eli referred to the common instruction given to passengers on an airplane: Put your own life vest (or oxygen mask) on before helping others with theirs. DON , T CHECK YOUR EMOTIONS AT THE DOOR We've all heard the phrase, "Check your emotions at the door," in refer- ence to the separation between work and personal issues. If we're being honest, though, there's no way to simply pretend you're not having a rough day, or that you're dealing with an issue that's affecting your mood. More and more experts agree that separating work and personal feelings doesn't work. The age of "checking your emotions at the door" seems to be waning, especially as we notice that expressing emotions rather than hiding from them actually seems to be a better tactic for processing and getting past negative feelings. In her book, It's Always Personal: Emotion in the New Workplace, Anne Kreamer notes that when people hold in their emotions, they are likely to fi nd an unhealthy way out, which can be especially caustic in service environments. "I am not an advocate for 'letting it all hang out,' but rather suggest that if people can look clearly at their anxiety or an- ger when it begins to percolate, you can fi gure out strategies for dealing with those feelings before they trigger an unpleasant encounter." This is true for people dealing with momentary bouts of depression or anxiety, 1: Start with your concern for the employee: "Joe, I'm concerned about you." 2: Focus your comments on observable behaviors: "You've been late to work four times in the past two weeks, and your orders have had twice as many mistakes." 3: Acknowledge the change: "This isn't like you. You're normally the fi rst in to work, and the last person to make mistakes on bar." 4: Offer an olive branch: "I don't know if things in your person- al life are affecting you, but if they are, there are confi dential assistance options I would be happy to recommend." [This would depend on whether a company offers health insurance and Em- ployee Assistance Program (EAP)* options to employees.] 5: Be prepared to set limits. For example, if the barista mentions marital discord, problems with a child, fi nancial problems, and so forth, the manager should be empathetic but should limit the conversation. 6: Refer employee to an EAP. Offer the telephone number for the Employee Assistance Program, or suggest that it would serve the employee well to consider outside professional counseling through health-care benefi ts, a community clinic, an EAP plan, or even through pastoral counseling. 7: Reinforce your concern: "I'm very invested in helping you get back on track." — Compiled by Dr. Joni E. Johnston *An EAP is a voluntary, work-based program that offers free and confi dential assessments, short-term counseling, referrals, and follow-up services to employees who have personal and/or work-related problems. EAPs address a broad and complex body of issues affecting mental and emotional well-being, such as al- cohol and other substance abuse, stress, grief, family problems, and psychological disorders. EAP counselors also work in a consultative role with managers and supervisors to address em- ployee and organizational challenges and needs. Many EAPs are active in helping organizations prevent and cope with workplace violence, trauma, and other emergency response situations. For more information, visit www.opm.gov. HOW TO REACH OUT TO A POTENTIALLY DEPRESSED EMPLOYEE 105 www.baristamagazine.com