How do you deal with your emotions? Do you keep them to yourself or do you share them with someone? No matter how we deal with what we’re feeling, we have to get through the negative ones quickly. For example, if we are feeling sad, we need to make sure that we are not stuck in this state. One way for us to do this is by improving our emotional agility.
Dealing With Negative Emotions Is Easier When We Develop Emotional Agility
Emotions are inevitable. We are not robots, after all. The good emotions we feel are great, but it’s the bad ones we have to deal with. This is where emotional agility comes in. So, what is it? It is the ability to manage your inner experiences mindfully and productively.
This ability allows us to feel emotionally safe. And, whenever we feel this, we can show ourselves compassion. Instead of being critical with failures, we have the ability to show ourselves some kindness. In this social media era where we need to air out our aggressiveness for the world to see, emotional agility is useful. It’s handy to overcome rejection from online dating as well.
How To Improve Your Emotional Agility
Some of us are already emotionally agile. We may be born with it. However, for those who feel like they don’t have this yet, here are the ways for you to practice being emotionally agile:
Be Aware
You may think that you are already practicing self-awareness, but if you cannot come to terms with difficult situations, think again. Be open to experiencing negative emotions and even difficult situations.
Distance Yourself From Your Emotions
There’s power in your words. For example, if you say “I am sad,” then you become that emotion. However, if you say “I feel sad,” it activates your readiness to take the next step in your emotional resolution. Next, find out why you feel the way you are feeling. If you’re sad, it’s because you may be overwhelmed.
Take Action
When you figure out the reason behind your emotion, then solve it. To resolve your sadness, for example, you have to take bite-size pieces of the problem instead of swallowing it whole.
Move Forward
Don’t just take action. Supplement that action with something that can reinforce the goals you want. If your goal is to feel less sad because of stress, then take a break. Or, take up a hobby that gets your mind off of work.
Emotional agility is a great way for us to cope with everyday stress. As mentioned, we can apply this ability to different aspects of life – work, dating, and everyday living. For more tips about self-improvement, read other posts on the blog.