Self-Awareness + Self Management Strategies

1. Get a journal

Get a notebook or use the notepad on your phone to jot down your reactions in the moment. It’s a private, safe way to instantly vent, identify your feelings, and understand your own patterns and tendencies. The key word here is safe! A journal is a place to be completely honest without directing negativity at others or taking action that could potentially damage professional or personal relationships. Write about what triggers you, and what gets on your nerves. It’s a place where you can see yourself more clearly; and over time, you’ll be able to track and celebrate your personal growth.

2. Identify your values

Make a list of your core values and beliefs. For example, if you think it’s important to follow the golden rule and rise above gossip, include this on your list. If you want to be patient with your staff or your spouse, jot it down. Flag the page and refer to it often. Use your list as a baseline on days where stress and emotions knock you out of alignment. Is your day-to-day lining up with what you value most? On days where things veer off-track, what were the triggers?

3. Experience emotions without judgement.

Most of us like to classify feelings into tidy categories - the good and the bad. But when we label feelings, we begin judging rather than feeling. For example, if you’re sad, which you’ve labeled as a bad emotion, you might immediately begin thinking of ways to cheer up (instead of giving yourself processing time so that the feeling can run it’s course.) Keep in mind there’s an entire range of feelings that shows up to teach you something important about yourself. If you push feelings aside or ignore them, they’ll bubble back up to the surface in a different way.

1. Stay on an even keel with regular self care.

In high-stress situations, it’s easier to keep your cool and stay focused when you’re taking good care of yourself. Be proactive by getting in your zzz’s, fueling up on nutritious food, and burning-off stress with regular exercise. Add downtime to your schedule (and catch your breath) with meditation, massage, or any relaxing activity that helps you de-stress.

2. Know when to press pause.

When a passionate office debate starts feeling more like toxic conflict, recognize it, and give it some space by detaching. Agree to break for twenty minutes; or sleep on it, and resume the conversation after everyone has taken an ample breather. Glued to your inbox and embroiled in an email blow-by-blow? Stand up, count to ten (or more) take a deep breath and reflect on what’s really going on. Would a phone call be better? In this situation, are there more effective ways to communicate?

3. Make emotion vs. reason lists to tackle problems

Struggling to make a decision? In their book, Emotional Intelligence 2.0, Bradberry & Greaves recommend creating an emotion vs. reason list when you’re stuck in a battle between your emotional and rational brain. The process is simple. Make two columns on a sheet of paper. On the left, write what what your emotions are telling you to do, and on the right, jot down what your rational mind has to say. Then, ask yourself two questions: Where are your emotions clouding your judgement; and where is your rational mind ignoring important emotional queues? Are you operating like a bot without feelings, or letting emotions control you? Strike a balance with this list, and check out Emotional Intelligence 2.0 for hundreds of easy EQ strategies.

Download our eBook

Self-awareness and Self-Management are two core components of emotional intelligence. Emotional Intelligence is a set of four skills that let you manage emotions in the workplace, and every other realm of life. We think it’s so important for synergy and team-building that we developed an eBook you can download for free.Check out 9 Modern Skills Everyone Should be Hiringfor tips on how to evaluate emotional intelligence during the screening process.

References:
Emotional Intelligence 2.0, Bradberry & Greaves: https://www.talentsmarteq.com