Some of us have great control over our emotional responses, and some of us struggle.
Doing or saying the wrong thing in the midst of an emotional meltdown could have very negative effects. Say something your boss doesn’t like and you could be out of a job.
Gain control of your emotions with these strategies:
1.Realize that negative emotions simply don’t last. If you’re angry about
something right now, you’ll probably be over it by next year, next week, or even
by tomorrow. But emotions tend to focus our attention right here and now. We
don’t consider the potential long-term consequences that a temporary
emotional state can create.
Who hasn’t done or said something in the heat of the moment that’s
caused great remorse? Your anger, fear, resentment, or other negative
emotion will fade quickly enough. Your rash response may not.
2. Examine your emotions. Learn to notice when you’re getting emotional. When
you notice yourself reacting strongly, ask yourself why. Try to label the emotion.
Analyze why you’re feeling that particular emotion and then admit it to
yourself. This way, you can avoid rationalizing your behavior, which is a
nice way of saying “lie to yourself.” If you know the real reason you’re
feeling the way you do, you’re more able to do something about it.
3. Create space. Many of the challenges created by our emotions could be
eliminated if we could just take a moment before reacting. Getting upset isn’t
something that happens to us. It’s something we do to ourselves, and some of us are very good at it.
4. Find a role model or hire a coach. Would you take stock tips from a homeless man? Probably not! Learn emotional control from those that maintain their composure
regardless of the circumstances.
When you find such a person, ask them how they do it. The answers you
receive could make all the difference. Click here to schedule your complimentary consultation for coaching on this area.
5. Find a healthy way to release negative emotions. Our actions can influence
our moods. If you’re feeling bored while watching TV, there’s no reason to
continue watching TV. Immediately get up and go for a walk. Go to the library
and find an interesting book. Call a friend. Exercise is a great way to release
energy.
You don’t have to passively accept your mood. Go do something else and
change it!
6. Try altering your breathing. Many people assume that emotions are entirely
psychological, but there is a physical component. Realize that all emotions are
ultimately experienced as physical feelings in your body. You’ve just learned to
label certain body feelings with names like “anger” and “fear.”
The only part of your physiology that can be easily controlled is your
breathing. Take a look at how you’re breathing during a strong emotional
response and change it.
A few ideas you can try are holding your breath for 5 seconds, breathing
deeply and slowly for 30 seconds, breathe in slowly and breathe out even
more slowly. Think about your breathing and count your breaths. Focus
on the physical feeling of the air moving in and out of your body.
If you’re used to being controlled by your emotions, you know that it’s not easy to
maintain your composure. But you can choose to respond differently to your emotions
and make wiser choices. Negative emotions exist to inform us that something might
be amiss. They are not there to control us.
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