As we continue to live in a time of great uncertainty, we’ve been hearing from many of you that you’re feeling particularly worn down and overwhelmed. Your emotions are ranging from happy, sad, angry, and grateful…all within the span of a day (sometimes within an hour!).
One of the hardest things about being human is that we feel so many emotions in response to both our internal life and external life. Few of us have been taught how to navigate these feelings by learning from them while not being held hostage by them.
We were reminded recently of a TedTalk by Susan David, where she explains the concept of emotional agility and the importance of authentically owning your emotions.
She defines this term of emotional agility as, “a process that enables us to navigate life’s twists and turns with self-acceptance, clear-sightedness, and an open mind.”
To be clear, it’s not about ignoring your emotions, also known as repression. This is dangerous because the feelings will eventually resurface—usually at the wrong time, in the wrong place, with the wrong people. The goal is to acknowledge them and then navigate a path forward.
It’s important to use your emotions as data that can help you to make decisions about future actions. Remember, your emotions are real but they aren’t always true.
It’s important to take a moment to pause and think about what your emotional response is telling you so that you can determine if and how you want to take action with that information.
For some additional nuggets about emotional agility from Susan David, check out her TedTalk: The Gift and Power of Emotional Courage.
We’re here for you.
Stephanie and Heather talk about the importance of Emotional Agility.
