We are lead to believe that we are in total control of our emotions. This is not necessarily true. The food we eat, our circumstance, and the underlying triggers that we haven’t yet named can all attribute to a lack of self-control. In business, if you are a leader and you become extremely angry, you’re less likely to have people respecting you. They may even fear you. The downfall of Napoleon was that every time someone gave him bad news, he would kill them.
Eventually, nobody told him anything and he wasn’t able to prepare for an ambush. This can be said for modern times in a work environment. It’s important to maintain a calm demeanor at work. There are many triggers in the workplace that can cause anyone to lose their temper. Here are some ways to manage the emotions that come up.
Name Your Emotions
Naming your emotions gives them less power over you. If you feel nervous, if you’re in fear, if you feel disappointment, anger, or sadness, acknowledge it. Be aware that other emotions could be masked by that one. So while you might get angry, it’s because you’re protecting a more vulnerable emotion like humility or shame or fear.
It can take some time to come to terms with what you’re really feeling so stick with it. Find out what you’re really feeling. This is where meditation can really help you. You might scoff at this, but 80% of the most successful CEO’s do a form of meditation daily. When you’re in a relaxed place, you can learn to see and name your emotions. This trains you to find them more easily and quickly when you’re in the work environment. This can help you to feel less attached to your emotions and will help you to calm down faster.
Change Your Thought Process
It is your emotions that can get you in trouble. They will cause you to perceive events in a way that doesn’t make sense in business. For example, you might feel anxious because your big client says that they need to talk to you. You may assume immediately that you’re going to lose them, which causes your stress levels to rise. What if you got the information and remained happy? You’d have thought instead of how they want to order more product from you or just tell you how much they appreciate your hard work.
How do you see the world? Maybe it’s time to reframe how you think about things. To not let fear take the wheel. If you’ve had things go wrong before, you may want to make peace with it. Start thinking about things differently and you’ll react to them differently too.
Food and Your Mood
You may be surprised to know that food can dictate your mood. Well, you’ve heard the term ‘hangry.’ It’s a real thing. When you skip meals, it can really mess with your mood as well as your body. It’s important to eat regular meals. If you don’t, the mind gets foggy and the body can get lethargic. Eating regularly will allow your body to maintain steady blood sugar levels, keeping your mood stable. At the same time, it’s important to not eat too much or the wrong foods like bad sugars. This can cause inflammation in the body and your digestive system can go into overdrive. This can cause major lethargy and may leave you feeling brain-dead and grouchy.
Another aspect to your mood is that you may have a food allergy you’re not aware of. This can change your mood because the body becomes agitated and everything is thrown off. If you are finding it hard to control your mood all of a sudden when you were calm before, you may want to get tested.
Foods such as complex carbs will slow sugar absorption going into your blood, which causes your serotonin levels to increase. Serotonin is the happy chemical which can help mood swings decrease. Foods that are complex carbs include oats and beans. Other foods that boost your mood include proteins and vegetables.
Mood Boost Yourself Throughout the Day
Staying inside all day at your desk is going to influence your mood in a negative way. It’s a good idea to make it a habit to do things that boost your mood throughout the day. This allows you to reset things so your mood is more stable. You can go for walks outside or talk to a friend on the phone about things that aren’t related to work. Think of the things that nourish your soul when you do them and make sure to use them when you need it.
If you feel agitation coming on, it’s important that you do something about it. You may end up reacting negatively to other situations that have nothing to do with the initial trigger. Instead, reset yourself and find peace in your mind. This might be a good time to address how you’re feeling. You don’t want to get stuck in a ruminating, negative thought pattern that totally ruins your day. You can change the game too. I personally dance to my favorite, uplifting tune of the moment to get out of a funky mood.
Try to use these tips if you feel like you’re too emotional in the workplace and it’s putting a negative effect on your business. It’s important to think in a logical way when you make a decision as opposed to making big choices emotionally. You may not be able to see the big picture or understand the financial implications of your choices if you don’t stick to the facts. As a leader, you want your team to also work efficiently in the workplace so lead by example. Keep those emotions in check.
