DIfficult Conversations: REGULATING Emotions CHEATSHEET

In a difficult conversation, we know that our emotions will be engaged.  The question becomes how to manage them. In the next few posts, I will examine some of the ideas that may be helpful in regulating and understanding our emotions.

For today, here are my top five ways to regulate your emotions:

• Develop complex understanding of emotions. Yours and others.  Keep learning
  
• Find your flow. Whether that is exercise / pilates / art / walking the dog.  Whatever it is – you need to schedule it in and do it to maintain equilibrium and to ensure you don’t get overwhelmed
  
• Monitor your physical reactions: heart rate / breathing / leg shaking / face getting hot / etc. Take a break – move physically ideally leave the room / breathing exercises / postpone conversation
  
• Curiosity. Why am I being triggered? What is happening that I feel threatened by? Why is this happening? Helps you to stay present in the conversation
  
• Name it. Affect labelling increases our ability to regulate the emotion.  It helps us to shift from reactivity to thinking.​

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