Purpose: Learn to reflect on and take control of our emotional management.
Explanation: Emotions are all around us and exist in every aspect of our lives. When thinking about our emotions, we tend to focus on the fluctuations (positive/negative) in emotions we experience. However, most of the time, we traverse through life with an average emotional level or mood. In this exercise, we focus on how we can reflect, challenge, and take ownership of the way we deal with these emotional fluctuations to allow us to have more control and awareness of our reactions to emotional events.
Exercise:
Review (past and look to the future): What do I do or how do I react when I experience different emotions? It is easiest to begin by reflecting on a few times in the past when you have experienced these emotions and your reactions to them. Try to identify any similarities in your actions and reactions to these emotions. This builds awareness of how you currently experience these emotions and how you will experience them in the near future. This will help you develop an understanding of how you react to these emotions. If you are struggling with this reflective exercise, speak to good friends and family and compare your notes with theirs. How do they think you react? vs. How do you think you react?
Challenge: Once you have a good idea about how you react, it is time to make a decision about how you feel about your reactions. Ask yourself some questions: Do I like the way I react? Am I happy with how my reactions affect others? Are my reactions in congruence with what I feel about myself?
Own it: Finally, once you have the information and understanding about how you react, own it. Give yourself space if you need space. Get yourself ice cream if you need it. Give your friend a call to have the rant. Spend some time dancing and jumping for joy. The key thing is getting back to your emotional norm as quickly as possible and not sinking into a rut for days or weeks. The more we own these emotional fluctuations, the faster we can resolve them and get back to facing the challenges of the day.