L&D Strategy • Feb 3rd
Tips for managing our emotions in the moment
Written by Claire Coughlan
Isn’t life funny?
Everything going well and then ‘BAM’; a message, a phone call, an unexpected email that hits you right in the chest and you know you can’t hold back the tears of frustration, the colourful metaphors or that sick feeling.
Depending on the context of the situation, the aftermath can brings waves of embarrassment, shame and feelings of failure.
How you respond is pretty personal, but here are some suggestions of what you can do in the moment:
- Take a breath – steady the flow of oxygen into your lungs
- Nurture yourself – step away from the situation if you can; go for a walk, cuddle the dog. Do something which makes you feel good but without the self-sabotage
- Speak to someone – a friend, a colleague, a loved one who will listen without judgement
Above all, please dont ignore how you feel and don’t shy away from the emotional and physiological experience you are having. It is when we suppress or ignore how we feel that we create layers of dis-ease that can cause us to behave in ways that do not serve us or others well.
Developing our emotional intelligence isn’t all smooth sailing. It isn’t always a pretty sight. It can be teary, gut wrenching and pretty uncomfortable.
And that’s ok. And you’re ok too.
If you would like to discuss how developing your Emotional Intelligence can help your people to become more effective in managing relationships in work, please get in touch.