Emotional regulation refers to the processes we use to influence our emotions when we have them and how we experience or express them.
It involves being aware of our emotions and healthily managing them so they don’t control us or cause problems.
Emotional regulation is essential for well-being and success in many areas of life, including at work.
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Why Emotional Regulation is Essential in the Workplace
Being able to regulate our emotions effectively at work is important for many reasons:
- It helps us maintain professionalism and handle challenges calmly and rationally. Losing control emotionally can damage workplace relationships and reputation.
- It enables us to think clearly, make good decisions, and focus on tasks even when we’re experiencing difficult emotions.
- It allows us to communicate and collaborate effectively with co-workers, even during disagreements or setbacks.
- It helps us manage stress and anxiety related to work demands and pressures. Unregulated stress can lead to burnout.
- It promotes engagement, motivation, and productivity since we can channel emotions like enthusiasm and pride into our work.
In short, emotional regulation helps us be more professional, thoughtful, collaborative, resilient, and engaged at work. It’s a critical skill for workplace success.
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Examples of Poor Emotional Regulation at Work
When we lack appropriate emotional regulation skills, it can show up in our workplace conduct and interactions in problematic ways, such as:
- Inappropriate emotional outbursts: Yelling, bursting into tears, slamming fists, etc. when frustrated or angry. This can frighten, upset, or alienate co-workers.
- Passive-aggressive behavior: Sulking, giving coworkers the silent treatment, sabotaging others’ work when feeling resentful. This harms team cohesion.
- Oversharing negative emotions: Venting excessively to co-workers about frustrations, anxieties, or anger regarding work. This drains their bandwidth.
- Excessive self-criticism: Berating oneself loudly over minor mistakes or setbacks. This worries and distracts others.
- Chronic negativity: Complaining constantly about tasks, policies, or co-workers. This creates a toxic culture.
- Inappropriate humor: Telling jokes or laughing at inappropriate times as a defense mechanism. This seems unprofessional.
- Emotional withdrawal: Becoming cold, shut down, apathetic, or disengaged at work to avoid feeling or showing emotions. This impedes collaboration.
- Perfectionism: Becoming overly emotional about minor errors or imperfect work. This reduces efficiency and morale.
Dysregulated emotions like these negatively impact workplace culture, relationships, and performance. They hold us back from communicating effectively, thinking rationally, and doing our best work.
Conclusion
Emotional regulation abilities allow us to manage our feelings skillfully so they facilitate rather than hinder our professional success.
Developing strategies to control intense emotions, channel them productively, and express them appropriately at work is essential for being seen as a mature, collaborative, and effective employee.
The personal and organizational benefits of supporting healthy Emotional regulation in the workplace are profound.
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With 30+ years of experience, Catherine Fitzgerald, B.A., M.A., PGDip, founded Oak Innovation in 1995. Catherine received her Bachelor’s degree and Master’s from University College Cork. She holds qualifications in Professional Development And Training from University College Galway. She is completing a second Master’s from University College Cork. Since 1995, clients include Apple, Time Warner, and Harvard University.
