Day 5: How Are You Feeling Today?
It is hard to believe we are in our second week of our journey from Chaos to CALM. These tips are here to inspire you to harness “Your Powerful Leadership Presence” during COVID-19 and beyond!
They are for your discernment only!
The Coaching Nest believes that by developing some of these emotionally intelligent habits, you will have more “presence of mind” to make good decisions in a crisis for you and your team.
Today’s tip is about how to become more emotionally self-aware.
How are you coping with making decisions right now?
How are you staying emotionally grounded?
How are you REALLY feeling?
Most of us are being tested regularly on how to keep our cool. If you can keep your cool, then the odds are you can calmly think through situations and make good choices for yourself and others.
These are not the easiest of times to stay calm and cool!
Perhaps this post can be of some support to you!
Emotional Self-Awareness may be a helpful way to detect your feelings to prevent a melt-down that could cause both embarrassment or long-term consequences. We’ve all been in both personal and professional situations where we felt that heightened anxiety, where our team and individual success was dependent upon the choices we made in that moment. This could have been a time where you had to deal with a fresh or past trigger.
A trigger causes physical warnings: Perhaps you could feel your elevated heartbeat, your palms starting to sweat, your mouth becoming dry, your body stiffening, and the feeling of being breathless. All these reactions are our bodies warning signals to change the way we are thinking, so we can breathe, calm down and return to our homeostasis of balance and equilibrium!
The Social and Emotional Intelligent competency definition for Emotional Self-Awareness is the following:
Noticing and being able to label your feelings, emotions, “gut-level” instincts, or reactions. It is about being able to connect these to their source, recognizing their effects on your mind and your body, and using your feelings as a valuable source of insight about yourself.
People with this Competence:
Know which emotions they are feeling and why
Realize, in the moment, the link between their feelings and what they think, do and say
Recognize how their feelings affect their performance
Are able to articulate their feelings and appropriately express them
Can tell in the moment when and why they are getting upset
People lacking this competence
May receive messages from their bodies such as chronic headaches, lower back pain, neck or shoulder pain, heart racing, sweaty palms, anxiety attacks or other signals. They generally don’t pay attention to these signals or connect them to their source.
Fail to gain insight and information from what their bodies might be trying to tell them
Get irritated, frustrated, or angry easily, causing them to treat people in an abrasive way
Fail to see that what they are doing might not be aligned with their personal goals and values
Often feel stressed about the of balance in terms of their work life, health, and family
Development Tips:
Regularly check in on your feelings. During the course of the day, schedule brief but frequent check–ins on your emotional state as well as what your body might be feeling or trying to tell you
If you find yourself clenching your teeth, tensing your shoulders, feeling worn out or worn down, stop and ask yourself what your body is trying to tell you. Are you feeling trained, stressed, anxious, fearful, overwhelmed, discouraged, or burned out?
Name your emotions and connect them specifically to a situation, concern, or issue
“Listen” to what your emotions might be telling you in that moment
Use the information that bubbles up from inside. Listen to your intuition to gain insight that could guide you in dealing with the issue or challenge
Take the time to be introspective and listen to that quiet inner voice. Put aside some of your goal-oriented activities and think. Take long walks, know your core values, and stop thinking of your emotions as irrelevant or messy. Our emotions are an essential source of valuable information.
Dr. Laura Belsten and ISEI®..
We have emotions to help us focus our attention and motivate us to action. Think of how you are feeling today…
What are your emotions telling you to focus on?
Here is a feeling chart to help you out!
Anger Fury Outrage Hatred Resentful Exasperated Annoyed Irritated Vengeful Cheated Belligerent | Rebellious Resistant Envious Superior Defiant Contempt Repulsed Appalled Offended Distrustful Cynical | Wary Concerned Apprehensive Fear Nervous Dreading Worried Afraid Anxious Edgy Restless Frightened | Threatened Stressed Overwhelmed Obsessed Disheartened Confused Baffled Lost Disoriented | Disconnected Trapped Lonely Isolated Sad Grieving Dejected Gloomy Desperate Depressed Devastated | Helpless Weak Vulnerable Moody Serious Somber Disappointed Hurt Defective Shy Unloved Abandoned | Frail Queasy Weary Tired Burned-Out Apathetic Complacent Bored Brainless Exhausted Frustrated | Grumpy Impatient Testy Wound-Up Shame Humiliated Mortified Embarrassed Ashamed Uncomfortable | Guilty Regretful Remorseful Reflective Sorrowful Detached Aloof Surprise Shocked Startled Stunned | Amazed Astonished Impressed Impassioned Enthusiastic Excited Aroused Delirious Passionate Crazed |
| Euphoric Thrilled Competitive Willful Determined Confident Bold Eager Optimistic Gratified Proud Gushy | Happy Joyful Blissful Amused Delighted Triumphant Lucky Pleased Silly Dreamy Enchanted Appreciative | Grateful Hopeful Intrigued Interested Engrossed Alive Vivacious Calm Contented Relieved Peaceful | Relaxed Satisfied Reserved Comfortable Receptive Forgiving Accepting Loved Serene Regard Adoration |
“Like ability or a muscle, hearing your inner wisdom is strengthened by doing it.”– Robbie Glass