Ready to tell off your boss? You’re suffering from workplace ‘vertigo’ — here’s how to beat it

Bosses driving you crazy? Keep your shirt on, experts warn.

Dan. L Shapiro, director of the Harvard International Negotiation Program, is warning workers to beware so-called workplace “vertigo,” or feelings of sudden hostility when things go awry — particularly when management is involved.

“Vertigo is that feeling when you get really consumed in a conflict,” Shapiro told CNBC. “Maybe the boss puts you down, maybe they intended it, maybe they didn’t. Either way, your brain swells with emotions.” 

He added this sudden, rageful phenomenon typically happens while a worker is mentally unaware of their hostile, physical state.

“A lot of that cerebral [thought] has emotional underpinnings and those emotional underpinnings are coming from what we feel in our bodies,” said Shapiro. “If you’re not aware of it you will react wrongly to it most of the time.” 

All sorts of things can set the rage machine in motion — a lack of recognition for an outstanding performance, being saddled with unfair workloads, or just about anything that makes a person feel professionally undervalued.

It’s not uncommon to feel an elevated heart rate and a negative sentiment settling in, but it’s quite important to take a much-needed breather before handling the situation regretfully, Shapiro said.

If you know you’re heading into choppy waters, take a beat to go over what exactly you’re trying to accomplish first.

“Before you even walk into a meeting with your boss, ask yourself: ‘What’s my purpose and what’s my agenda?’” he said, adding to “pause and take a breath” in heated moments.

After all, lashing out will only make you look like the villain.

“Move back to the rational headspace,” Shapiro said.

“Your purpose is to let the boss know how hard you have been working. Your purpose is to let your boss know that you respect them. Your purpose is to get advice on how to navigate this time in your career.”