You don’t have to work in an office to deal with a bad boss. Whether you’re employed by a construction company, a law firm, or a small clothing boutique, the chances are you’ll have a manager you work with directly. Sometimes this person is an absolute dream: reasonable, hard-working, and mature. But then there are times in which you might find yourself dealing with a boss who is not so perfect. Here is what you can do to keep an even temper and a calm mind while navigating the waters around these difficult people.

Open up a line of communication

Many problems between managers and staff are merely a result of crossed wires. Some employees who think their boss is being a jerk are to blame because they simply haven’t asked the right questions about an assignment. Likewise, bosses who think their employees are lazy or insubordinate might not be inquiring on their progress or giving them enough to do. The more both of you talk, the easier it will be to work together.

For some situations, it helps to put yourself in a difficult manager’s shoes. In the same way that you might not be aware of their thought processes, you may also be unaware of their particular situation. Perhaps upper management is putting the pressure on them, and they are having trouble not passing it along. You don’t have to have a heart-to-heart, but it never hurts to ask them what you can do to make everyone’s work less stressful.

Entertain realistic expectations

Focusing on what you can control can help take your mind off of what you can’t. If your manager is demanding, do your best to meet their goals. If they give you a hard time because you haven’t been able to meet their expectations, remind them of what you have accomplished in the meantime.

If there are multiple projects on your plate, avoid running them all together and multitasking. This could leave some assignments to gather dust while others are treated myopically. Contrariwise, you may be giving all of your projects too little time simultaneously. Know your deadlines. Complete your assignments one at a time, on time, and your boss will be aware of your progress.

Get organized

One surefire way to release tension in the office is to update your filing methods. Communication is essential, of course, and part of what keeps everyone in the loop is a consistent document management system. The version retention feature of a document manager like Contentverse makes losing an assignment impossible. And the business processing capacity of work flow ensures that every task is done ahead of schedule. This will relieve stress for both you and your supervisor, which may have been the source of all your troubles in the first place.

Quiet Your Mind

Drink tea, not coffee. Seriously. The popular image of the executive is a coffee in one hand and a memo in the other. But coffee might kick your mind into overdrive, which will leave you tense and tax your focus. Try something else to bring you the balance you need to deal with your boss and get your work done. Green tea is great for both keeping your body in balance and your mind. If tea isn’t your thing, try getting up early for yoga or a run. A little exercise can do wonders for your equilibrium.

Meditation is also an excellent strategy. You’ve seen those Yogis and Tibetan monks in the movies sitting for hours on a hardwood floor, but that’s not what we mean. Finding a quiet time or place to listen to chill music, read a friendly book, or simply explore your thoughts can also be forms of meditation. If you regularly visit this part of your routine, it will be that much easier to go there instead of screaming your head off at your supervisor. Even if they lose their cool, don’t let their lack of control ruin your groove.

It’s in Your Hands

Whether your boss is a Michael Scott or a Montgomery Burns, their neuroses and personality flaws are not something you need to change. That isn’t up to you. But, getting your work done on time and keeping an even keel all the while is. In fact, it’s your job. Who knows? If you can keep it up, you might be running this place someday.

About the Author:

Becky Neems is a Digital Marketing Coordinator at Computhink. Applying her exhaustive journalism experience to the world of marketing, she always revels in the chance to get the latest tech news. Now instead of sifting through piles of magazines, she studies web pages and analytics because of her fascination in the almighty first page of Google. Besides research, Becky enjoys reading up on the latest politics, makeup tips, and electronic music jams. She can be reached at bneems@computhink.com or followed @bexchillah on Twitter.