I was recently on a 4-hour flight with an escapee. Okay, not really.

An 18 month-old toddler was trying to escape from her parents’ clutches, all while screaming at the top of her lungs. Every time her father picked her up and put her on her seat, she wiggled back out to the aisle.

I was getting frustrated and annoyed. I tried to tune her out by putting on my earbuds and watching a video. Nevertheless, the screams continued to seep in.

Finally I realized that her parents were doing the best they could, taking turns walking the aisle with her. The father even stood up in the back and rocked her for over an hour. Every time he put her down, yes, you guessed it, more screaming.

Finally I realized that I needed to change my way of thinking and I summoned my empathy. I felt the parents’ frustration and angst over the situation. They had no control and were embarrassed.

Have you ever had a situation at work that caused you extreme angst? How did you react? How long did you allow your anxious feelings to linger?

In my work with my clients, I teach them how to reframe their thinking. Of course, it’s normal human behavior to react when something happens. But how upset must we get and how long must we stay there? And how can we best process the situation so we can go on with our day.

In my upcoming talk at the Colorado SHRM State Council Annual Conference, I’ll be talking about this issue of how to reframe your thoughts when stressed, and more in my “Banish Burnout: Move from Stress to Success” presentation.

If you’re a Colorado SHRM member, I hope to see you there. Connect with me on the Whova app and look for my Poll question.