I haven't completely lost it at work yet....but thanks to Mike DuBord....that may someday change. Here is what you should do if you have a meltdown at work.

Step #1.)  Leave the Room.  If you start sobbing at a meeting, don't try to fight through it.  Excuse yourself, and go somewhere else.

--The logical place to go is the bathroom, but it's not really that private.  So you're supposed to go outside instead, and try to walk it off.  Or if you need to be by yourself, go sit in your car.

Step #2.)  Compose Yourself.  Don't go back in until you do.  Get your mind off whatever it is you're upset about by thinking of something mundane and totally off-topic . . . like Christmas shopping or sports.  It works if you're really ANGRY too.

Step #3.)  Offer a Short Explanation.  Don't just pretend nothing happened, but don't get too in depth about it either.

--If you can, keep it about business and say something like, "Obviously I have strong feelings about this issue."  Otherwise, just be vague and apologize.

--But according to Jezebel, you shouldn't blame it on being sleep-deprived or stressed out, because it can make you seem even more unprofessional. 

--If you got tragic news or something, then obviously you don't have to apologize.  But you still might want to let everyone know what's going on.

Step #4.)  Move Past It.  Once you address it, don't bring it back up or apologize more than once.  It just reminds everyone what happened, and makes it look like you can't move on.

Step #5.)  Don't Make It a Habit.  This goes without saying, but it's hard for people to take you seriously if you start crying as soon as you get negative feedback.