February 12th, 2025

​Emotional regulation is a complex process that involves using a variety of skills and strategies to control and manage our feelings. We do this all day long, but not always as effectively as we could. Insufficient emotional regulation often leads to enhanced stress and conflicts in the workplace.

Benefits of regulating your emotions more consistently:
·      More resilience in the face of challenges.
·      Reduced stress and anxiety.
·      Enhanced empathy leading to stronger relationships.
·      Improved physical health.

How you can regulate your emotions more effectively:
·      Pausing and recognizing your thoughts and feelings. This requires you to be self-aware which takes practice and intention.
·      Being kind and understanding towards yourself when correcting a mistake as opposed to being self-critical.
·      Accepting feedback about your work as useful information rather than a personal attack.
·      Reframing a challenge into an opportunity such as being excited to share your expertise rather than feeling fearful of making a presentation.
·      Using mindfulness practices like breathing intentionally and briefly meditating.
·      Seeking support from friends and family.
·      Exercising regularly which releases endorphins to improve your mood and physical health.

A client we’ll call Marcia (not her real name) requested coaching to manage her anxiety. She owned a boutique staffing agency catering to software developers. Her husband suggested she needed some support to reduce her constant stress about work.

We discussed how Marcia could regulate her emotions more consistently. We first started by practicing intentional breathing. This helped her slow down and pay attention to how stressed she was feeling in the moment on a scale of 1 to 10. She identified the source of her anxiety as being self-critical about perceived shortcomings. Together we practiced kinder self-talk.

We then focused on her speaking more kindly to her staff. This included ensuring she was teaching and developing her employees rather than lecturing them and merely pointing out mistakes. After deepening her relationships with her staff, they became a team, relying on each other for emotional support.

In the span of three weeks, Marcia and her team were much more relaxed at work, which positively impacted her relationship with her husband.

Please contact me for a complimentary, confidential conversation about your ability to regulate emotions and improving your productivity with less stress.