HOW TO MASTER YOUR EMOTION

7 Habits that make you a boss over your bad emotions.

At various points in our lives, we are overwhelmed with emotions, either negative or positive ones. And this does not in any way exclude the Alphas.

What do you do when you are drowned in frustration, anger, fear, or regrets? 

In these volatile moments, your behaviour and self-control are most vulnerable, your thoughts are bound to spiral out of proportion and small problems can easily magnify into bigger, catastrophic ones.

However, there are ways to keep your emotions in check and ensure that you stay in control as an Alpha - protected from every brewing form of negativity.

1. Count Your Blessings

When the burden of avoidable or unavoidable errors forces you to your knees. Or you are hunted by regrets of the bad decisions you made; you said the wrong thing, you failed at a task or you missed an opportunity, wishing you could have done things differently.

At any time you find yourself stuck in this realm of negative energy, count your blessings instead of blessings of your mistakes. Focus more on the things you’ve done right, reminisce the happy and productive moments rather than the regrettable ones. Think about the hurdles you’ve scaled, the goals you’ve achieved, and the battles you’ve won. Think about family, think about loved ones. 

This act librates your energy and inspires your hope, creativity, and eventually your productivity. And in the end, you would have rescued yourself from overwhelming terrible emotions.

2. Buy Some Happiness.

There is a popular saying that “money cannot buy happiness”- true. Money cannot buy you a lifetime of positivity and you can’t throw money at every unpleasant emotion and expect them to magically disappear forever. 

However, The Journal of Consumers’ Psychology found in their 2011 research that certain spending habits produce more positive emotions. They found that there is a strong connection between the feeling of satisfaction and charitable donations. This simply means that giving to the needy can buy you some more happiness than spending money on yourself.

Controlling how you spend and what you spend money on could be helpful in managing your emotions. Therefore, make more meaningful and memorable purchases and you would have laid a foundation for a happier life.

3. Workout

You may want to question the connection between your emotions and physical movement and exertion. It is however proven that physical exercise has an impact on one's mood and general state of mind. 

Working out is a profound stress reliever, a source of inspiration and motivation. It is also an easy outlet for every negativity and bad energy.

Hence, whenever you’re are struggling with complicated emotions, hit the gym, take a walk, do 15-30 minutes of yoga and meditation, keep your body moving. These activities completely change the way you feel and your emotions are easily managed.

4. Talk To Yourself.

This may seem weird, but the same way you ask a moody friend “what’s wrong?”, “are you okay?”, who says you cannot accost yourself the same level of care and gentleness?

We are often too hard on ourselves, that each time we are feeling bad we expect ourselves to just snap right out of it, then go ahead to chastise ourselves when these bad emotions don’t vanish as quickly as we expect.

How about you treat yourself like a partner or a friend. Such that whenever you’re feeling down, ask yourself about how you are feeling. Dig into the root of whatever emotion has you overwhelmed and the conditions that create the negativity and stress. 

Talking to yourself might look stupid. But in the moment of self-compassion, you will get to understand how you feel. The better you understand your emotions, the easier you can control them.

5. Tag Your Feelings.

Sometimes you are angry, frustrated, and sad, so much that you might even cry or punch the wall.  Yet in the moment of this awful feeling, you cannot place the reason you feel the way you feel. How then can you treat an undiagnosed disease? 

Labelling your feelings would do a lot of good in managing your emotions. You are angry at a mistake you made? Why? Are you anxious you might make the same mistake in the future? Are you worried about what your friends or boss would think of you? Or you are simply mad at yourself because you could have done better?

Each of these feelings affects your emotions in a unique way, hence the need to treat them uniquely. By pinpointing what you are feeling and labelling them as either; sad, ashamed, angry, or anxious, you are able to develop a unique coping mechanism for each unique emotion. 

6. Daily Affirmations or Mantras

Discover a short phrase/mantra that resonates best with you and drives or suits and calms you. Say it continuously and with conviction whenever your emotions are spiralling out of control. 

Suiting and reassuring words like; “I’m brave and in control.” “I’m relaxed and capable.” “I’m confident and productive.” These are simple phrases but powerful enough to command your thought and reassure your control over your emotions. 

7. Personal Time 

No matter how busy your schedule is, it is important that you find time away from your work and other engagements. Retreat to a quiet and peaceful place where you can be with just yourself. Think, meditate and assess your emotions.

Responsibilities and expectations of life are a heavy burden that often results in stress, frustration, and stress, which all add to your negativity. 

However, as little as 5 minutes of solitude may seem, it is enough to stabilize your mood, clear up your mind, and give you a new perspective.