“Being emotional” often gets a bad rap. This is particularly true in the workplace, where outbursts, arguments or even vulnerability can not only undermine an individual’s credibility, but also serve as grist for the mill and live on in company lore for years. But learning to manage and respond appropriately to the negative emotions that can accompany our workdays isn’t just a means to avoiding hushed conversations and looks of confusion. Developing solid emotional intelligence may actually bolster your workplace performance and career success.
Here are a few tips and tactical ways to address your emotions and practice better emotional intelligence at work. Doing so will create a better path for you and a better work environment for you and your co-workers.
Why emotional intelligence in the workplace is important
“Being emotional can lead us to make impulsive decisions, which can damage work relationships and the organization’s performance,” says Aaron Leiva, a Chicago-based industrial and organizational psychologist. “Additionally, being emotional comes with the association that the individual is being controlled by their emotions, rather than being the one controlling them.”
However, emotional intelligence—first coined by researchers John D. Mayer, Ph.D. and Peter Salovey, Ph.D.—is “the ability to understand and manage your own emotions, as well as recognize and influence the emotions of those around you,” according to a blog post from Harvard Business School.
“Tapping into feelings is inevitable, whether we do it with awareness or consciously repress them,” Leiva adds. “I suggest truly paying attention to them because they are cues to help you make decisions.”
Financier Warren Buffett shared a valuable piece of advice from a mentor concerning handling emotions in Gillian Zoe Segal’s book Getting There: A Book of Mentors. The book features essays from 30 leaders across various fields who share some secrets to their success.
“He said, ‘Warren, you can always tell someone to go to hell tomorrow.’ It’s such an easy way of putting it. You haven’t missed the opportunity. Just forget about it for a day. If you feel the same way tomorrow, tell them then—but don’t spout off in a moment of anger,” Leiva says.
This is a prime example of how to exercise caution and emotional intelligence at work when it might be easier to just react.
“How you deal with conflict and setbacks, how you encourage people when they’re down, your ability to negotiate or get things done—all of those things touch on emotional intelligence,” Mark Craemer, a management coach and organizational development consultant, told BBC.com. “It’s your [emotional intelligence] that enables you to be effective in your role, get promoted and do well in the workplace.”
How to practice better emotional intelligence in the workplace
Emotional intelligence is a sought-after trait in job candidates, especially for leading teams in the workplace or working in customer service. Being a team member or leader who can put yourself in another person’s shoes can be invaluable when problem-solving or avoiding conflict.
So how exactly can you be less reactive and improve your emotional intelligence in the workplace?
Manage feelings through assessment, labeling and positioning
Leiva recommends first acknowledging that anger or frustration are secondary emotions. Identify what is at the root of the anger. “There is something primary driving the anger, such as feeling overwhelmed, guilty, exhausted, worried, offended, hurt, anxious, etc,” he says.
Next, he recommends labeling and expressing anger to ourselves or others. “By saying something like ‘I am feeling anxious about the deadlines for the project this week,’ it provides clarity and soothes the nervous system,” Leiva says.
The third step is understanding that people are not the emotions themselves; rather, they are simply experiencing them. This enables you to objectively process any feelings of frustration. “This helps perceive the emotion away from our self-identity while allowing for better processing and increasing our emotional intelligence,” Leiva says.
That processing allows for problem-solving and brainstorming about the situation and next steps rather than staying mired in the negative emotions.
Regulate the nervous system through breath work
Leiva strongly advocates for learning to breathe correctly to help you maintain a sense of calm in a stressful environment. “When someone feels calm, their breath is deep and slow rather than shallow and fast, which can be observed in emotions such as anger. Learning when you are in fight, flight, freeze or fawn versus rest and digest is key to not reacting quickly when distressed with negative emotions,” he says.
According to the Harvard Health Blog, belly breathing instead of chest breathing can change how we react to stress: “Belly breathing stimulates the vagus nerve, which runs from the head down the neck, through the chest and to the colon. This activates your relaxation response, reducing your heart rate and blood pressure and lowering stress levels.”
Can you make a shift?
“Shifting your focus from negative thoughts and emotions to more positive and uplifting ones can improve your mood. For example, if you are feeling down about a recent failure, remind yourself of your strengths and successes rather than dwelling on your shortcomings,” says a Healthnews article.
Either way, Leiva says that you must find a way to address your emotions. “Hiding true emotions is not healthy by any means, so creating a psychologically safe environment is key to decrease self, team and organizational stress while increasing well-being and happiness,” he says.
Photo by Branislav Nenin/Shutterstock.com
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