For service workers, emotional labor is defined as the effort it takes to interact with the public, in a socially acceptable fashion. In her article, Simon references A.R. Hochschild in naming two types of emotional labor: surface acting and deep acting. Surface acting is described as involving, “expressing inauthentic emotions” whereas deep acting is matching what one needs to express with how they feel (Simon, 2020). These acting states involve various interactions among both library staff and the public. Simon believes that emotional labor is forever going to be a part of the service industry and lists some strategies to help librarians cope in their jobs (2020).
One such strategy is getting support from your co-workers, as they like have experienced the same transactions and frustrations that you have. There is power in numbers, with knowing that you aren’t alone in the experience. Suggestions from other staff, on how to deal with a situaiton, are also very helpful! Another strategy is using the tools of mindfulness and relaxation (Simon, 2020). In my experience, mindfulness is checking in with the state of your body, thoughts, and spirit and acknowledging what emotions come up, then moving on from them. Relaxation is doing what you love, with no thought of a time constraint. These tools are about individual progress, healing, and enjoyment. All of these qualities are need to function and thrive in life, especially with individuals who regularly interact with the public.
Reference
Simon, K. (2020, May). Emotional Labor, Stressors, and Librarians Who Work with the Public. School of Information Research Journal, 10(1). DOI: 10.31979/2575-2499.100106
Hi @acorey! As someone who worked for many years at library service desks, I feel this one deeply. I didn’t know that the thing I was often doing was “surface acting”. It’s just something I had to do when I was feeling too depressed or anxious to interact with people — you put it aside and act like everything is fine because you don’t want to be greeting people with that kind of energy. It does take a lot out of you! I did find, like you noted, that sharing my struggles with my colleagues was a great help.
@terribeth, it is nice that you also feel that sharing your struggles with co-workers helps reduce the stress! I think it also builds comraderie and relationships with your co-workers! On the subject of surface acting on your job, I also found that I have done this, when awsering a call, on the phone. I get into what I call my “customer service voice”, no matter what I am feeling.