Emotional regulation has become a key factor in our work life (and personal life, of course). I think it is well known. But how difficult is it to do when feelings are strong or we feel under pressure.
How do you react when someone makes you angry, or someone gets in the way of an important project you have put so much effort into?
Especially in the work environment we often suppress our emotional reactions. Our usual response is to act "as if nothing happened" but the storm goes on inside. One reason is because they are not socially accepted but also because we don't know how to do it.
Other times we prefer to change the activity and distract ourselves with something else "it will pass", we say to ourselves. After all, emotional regulation is not a subject we learn at school and we often lack an emotional vocabulary.
However, studies (Butler, 2003) reveal that both strategies not only do not work, but in the case of suppression they can actually harm us by increasing stress levels, impairing memory and negatively impacting others around us.
Strategies that do work are recognising and admitting the emotion (simply saying "I feel angry") and reframing the emotion to a more positive one. The later two slow down the energetic drain of negative emotions but have also been measured to have positive effects on memory, learning and a more objective perception that allows us to respond more appropriately,
So, what is your current emotional regulation strategy and how does it work for you?
Want to enhance your emotional regulation? Get in contact with Michelle Bakjac via email at michelle@bakjacconsulting.com to enquire about coaching and training to develop your key skills to manage and regulate your emotions more effectively.
Michelle Bakjac is an experienced Psychologist, Organisational Consultant, Coach, Speaker and Facilitator. As Director of Bakjac Consulting, she is a credentialed Coach with the International Coach Federation (ICF) and a member of Mental Toughness Partners and an MTQ Plus accredited Mental Toughness practitioner. Michelle assists individuals, teams and organisations to develop and improve performance, leadership, behaviour, resilience and wellbeing. You can find her at www.bakjacconsulting.com
