In any workplace, the pressures of performance evaluations and deadlines can create significant mental and emotional strain on professionals. Individuals self-identifying as Black, Indigenous, and People of Color (BIPOC) may feel particularly exhausted and demoralized if they have to navigate office politics, workplace gossip, microaggressions, subtle racism at work, and discriminatory practices and overt racism at work on top of completing their professional responsibilities.
Professional environments should be spaces where skills and talents speak for themselves. But the reality is that systemic racism, bias, and exclusion often overshadow merit, leaving BIPOC professionals feeling isolated, underappreciated, emotionally drained, and wondering how to deal with racism at work.
At Suffolk DBT, we provide dialectical behavioral therapy (DBT) that offers practical tools to empower BIPOC individuals. What you learn in therapy sessions can help you identify and regulate your emotions and reclaim and amplify your voice amid adversity.
Being BIPOC in biased business spaces
Not all workspaces provide the comfort and inclusivity that individuals need to thrive. In many academic and corporate settings, bias and discrimination remain prevalent, disproportionately affecting BIPOC professionals. Navigating such environments can feel like a constant battle, with the added burden of over-preparing and code-switching to prove one’s worth.
Recognizing the reality of racism at work
Racism at work can manifest in several ways:
- Overt racism. This form of racism is blatant, involving openly racist comments, behaviors, or policies. It can include racial slurs, discriminatory hiring practices, or a work environment that’s openly hostile to someone because of their race or ethnicity.
- Subtle racism. Also known as covert racism, subtle racism is less direct but equally harmful. What makes it subtle? Employers and colleagues may deliberately give you biased feedback but disguise it as constructive criticism. Subtle racism at work may look like being excluded from important projects or opportunities or being passed over for promotions despite your qualifications.
Microaggressions. These are indirect, intentional, or unintentional comments or actions communicating bias or prejudice. Microaggressions can accumulate over time. It can be emotionally exhausting and alienating to repeatedly hear “You’re so articulate for a Black person,” have someone follow you around the workplace as if they think you’ll steal something, or be left out of meetings and events because they’re constantly scheduled on days that conflict with cultural or religious
The emotional toll of experiencing racism at work
Dealing with racism at work and in other spaces can trigger a range of emotions, including
- Sadness
- Anger
- Frustration
- Anxiety
- Self-doubt
Many BIPOC individuals find themselves overcontrolling these emotions because the world often greets them with prejudice, suspicion, and outright hostility. Afraid of being labeled “emotional” or “difficult” in the workplace, they suppress sadness, anger, or discomfort, and make efforts to appear more agreeable.
Our compassionate, expert therapists at Suffolk DBT understand that BIPOC individuals are often hyper-attuned to social cues and learn to do what they feel is best to navigate and survive potentially harmful situations. But we offer you the gentle reminder that you didn’t cause racism and you shouldn’t have to suffocate yourself with excessive self-monitoring to try to fit into a society that doesn’t always fully accept you.
A crucial part of managing your emotions is understanding that your experiences receiving microaggressions and racism at work aren’t a reflection of your worth or abilities. All forms of racism intend to undermine your sense of belonging, and we emphasize the importance of protecting your psyche in the face of these challenges.
The role of therapy in thriving and building balance as a BIPOC professional
Feeling harassed, powerless, invalidated, ignored, unseen, unheard, and unsupported can lead to burnout and emotional exhaustion that impairs your focus on your work or how secure you feel in your professional identity.
We invite you to DBT sessions where you’ll learn skills that help you effectively address and cope with the unique challenges you face in the workplace and empower you to cultivate healthy emotional regulation and freedom.
Using DBT skills to deal with discrimination and racism at work
DBT skills can help BIPOC individuals build emotional balance, resilience, and freedom and communicate their feelings and boundaries effectively in workplaces where they face racism and othering.
- Mindfulness. It’s only human to be upset and distressed when encountering racism at work and in any space, whether it’s a microaggression or an overt act, but it’s essential to be gentle with yourself. Feeling disrespected, humiliated, or out of place doesn’t reflect negatively on your abilities or professionalism. One of the core DBT skills, mindfulness refers to being present and making judgment-free observations.
What can practicing mindfulness look like? Focusing your body’s reactions to how you’re treated at work instead of judging your anger or disappointment as wrong. Mindfulness can sound like saying, “I’m angry right now and it’s okay.”
- Emotional regulation. Encountering racism at work can evoke intense emotions that lead to dysregulation and feeling drained. Don’t dismiss your feelings or chalk it up to you being oversensitive. Acknowledge that something’s wrong in your work environment. Emotional regulation skills teach you how to deal with racism at work by effectively managing intense feelings through self-soothing techniques like deep breathing. Challenging unhelpful thoughts can empower you to maintain composure even when facing difficult situations.
- Interpersonal effectiveness. This DBT skill emphasizes effective and assertive communication. With a mastery of interpersonal effectiveness, BIPOC professionals can advocate for themselves and set boundaries about the kinds of behaviors they won’t tolerate in the workplace. Whether it’s addressing inappropriate comments rooted in hurtful stereotypes or reporting harassment and racism to HR, interpersonal effectiveness skills empower you to speak up in a way that honors your dignity and self-respect.
- Distress tolerance. This skill can help BIPOC professionals cope with immediate stress, especially in instances of overt or subtle racism at work. In moments when confronting racism directly doesn’t feel safe or effective, distress tolerance skills can help you manage any frustration and emotional pain without getting consumed by it. Techniques such as progressive muscle relaxation, grounding exercises, or deep breathing can help you cope with stress and regain your emotional balance.
Cultivating healthy control in counseling at Suffolk DBT
An uncomfortable, unwelcoming workplace makes your body and mind anxious and tense for a reason, so don’t gaslight yourself into conceding that you’ve been unnecessarily sensitive.
Recognizing that while you’re good at what you do, something’s wrong at work and you need to learn how to deal with racism at work, isn’t an admission of being a bad professional or being at fault for feeling discriminated against—because you aren’t. It means you’re aware that you deserve better than being so uneasy and targeted in your workspace that you’re uneasy in your mind and body and unable to work.
If you’re in Long Island or New York City and looking for support, we at Suffolk DBT help BIPOC individuals navigate complex emotions and experiences effectively with DBT skills. For more on how DBT can empower you, contact us today. Together, we connect you with the skilled therapist who best suits your emotional and mental needs and help you use the skills you learn in therapy to feel empowered and resilient in every aspect of your life, embrace your identity, and assert your value in the workplace.