Manage your emotions! Staying grounded in stressful moments

by Leah Weiss 

An article extracted from Every Emotional intelligence published on hbr.org 

Keepsake notes 

Mindfulness is a physical practice and a mental one. 

We cause ourselves a lot of un-necessary suffering when our bodies are the last thing we think about in moments of stress. Paying attention to our body can be our anchor to what's happening right now, even if sensations are unpleasant. Use Anchoring to pull your mind from rehashing the past or rehearsing the future, back to the present moment. Bring our attention to our bodies, notice - rather than avoid bodily sensations of tension, pleasure, circulation, pain, is the surest way to be in the present moment.  

Non-judgementally engaging with negative emotions negatively correlates to negative emotions and mood disorders. In other words, acknowledging, writing, recognising unpleasant emotions, will have less emotional distress and power over you over emotional suppression which is non beneficial.

Emotional regulation.

Don't underestimate a simple pleasures of having a body! It is reliable escape mechanism to anchor back to reality!

Magnify little pleasures.

Experience joy throughout the day! Eat when you are hungry; the relative quiet of the office after a morning with screaming kids; first sip of morning tea; calm after a jog.