Do Your Emotions Run the Show?!

I know that you’re thinking… “I have excellent control over my emotions!! I can just fake it till I make it, and it doesn’t even affect me.”

Well, unfortunately, I am here to tell you that you’re wrong! (Sorry!!)

Have you ever had a really difficult day (or maybe you’re just in a funk), and your feelings of overwhelm have translated directly into your work leading to poor quality? Or maybe you have had an awful day and made a poor decision at work or your personal life?

These are clear examples of how your emotions directly impact your behaviors and decisions.

When you go through a situation or event that causes a deep emotional reaction, your first instinct is likely to just shove your feelings away and move on. Unfortunately, this is not sustainable for the long term, because your emotions will come for you — and likely at the worst time, like in a business meeting or as you make an important situation.

Did you know that our emotions influence 95% of our decisions (more recent studies show that this number can be as high as 100%)?!?

That has a HUGE impact on the way you live your life and lead.

If you are a high achiever who needs to get stuff done, you simply don’t have the time to deal with the poor decisions that uncontrolled emotions can lead to.

We often think our emotions rule us, but the reality is, with proper tools, techniques and training, you can learn to control your emotions so they are no longer running your life. You sit in the driver’s seat and can now make better decisions in both your personal life and business, thus developing into a leader that others want to follow.

Firstly, when you begin to feel overwhelmed from your emotions, take a moment to step back and gather yourself if you can. Go into a place where you can be in private and take five or ten minutes to sit in silence and do a little reset. This will help you calm down and allow your mind to come back and approach the task at hand with a refreshed approach.

If you can’t remove yourself from a situation and be alone, make the conscious decision to set your emotions aside, and revisit them later. Additionally, choose to put a smile on your face — there is a psychological connection between your physiological actions and the emotions you feel. If you make the choice to smile and be happy, your emotions will follow.

One thing to note about this approach is that it is not the same as stuffing away your feelings and never resolving them. You must make an effort to revisit your feelings at a later time when you have the opportunity to be in the correct headspace.

Once you have the time to sit down and be by yourself, take some time to consider the different emotions you have been feeling and identify where they came from. Is a certain emotion more powerful than others? Were your emotions triggered by an event, situation, or person? Were they coming from a place of fear, discomfort or a past experience?

This approach requires you to take an objective approach to yourself and refrain from letting your emotions run the show.

By taking the time to identify your emotions and their source, you are working through your emotions in a way that leads to a higher level of self-awareness and self-regulation which ultimately makes you a better leader. Additionally, by giving yourself permission to fully feel and dive into your emotions, you are working towards healing!

All of these techniques help you really take control of your emotions, so that you can run the show — and stay running it. If you’re interested in learning more, you can check out our YouTube video on dealing with overwhelm here!

All of these techniques help you really take control of your emotions, so that you can run the show — and stay running it. If you’re interested in learning more, you can check out our YouTube video on dealing with overwhelm here!