July e-news

Dr Suzy Green & Associates

Hi all!  This month’s e-news is a little late because I’ve just returned from the 4th European Positive Psychology Conference held in Opatija, Croatia.  What a beautiful place and country!  Having spent a few days in Venice prior to the conference, my savouring techniques were finely tuned – gondolas, opera, water lapping, church bells ringing and spritz sparkling!  Opatija is a magnificent seaside town with 12km of path that winds along the Adriatic!  After the conference I spent a week sailing around the Croatian Islands, another opportunity for savoring and idling!  If you haven’t booked your next holiday, I’m hoping this will be a definite incentive to do so!

Anyway, the conference was a big success.  Ed Diener, aka “Dr Happiness”, opened with a keynote speech on “Well-Being on Planet Earth”.  There were calls for a broader approach of positive psychology beyond the individual.  This theme echoed throughout the rest of the proceedings.  Whilst my e-news are meant to inspire you to consider application of positive psychology to your individual lives, this is also a welcome reminder to consider what role you could play in your organization or community in terms of creating positive sustainable change and optimal functioning.

Other topics at the conference included: enhancing meaning and engagement at work, gratitude and altruism, flow research and applications and plenty of presentations on the benefits of mindfulness.  Todd Kashdan, whom in my opinion is positive psychology’s up & coming “rock-star”, gave a provocative keynote encouraging the audience to give more consideration to purpose in life as a system that creates and sustains health and well-being.  Overall, plenty to consider!  Although for now, it’s back to work!

Last month I continued my discussion on emotional intelligence and the ability of “understanding emotions”. I’m assuming over the past month there were plenty of opportunities to “make sense” or understand your emotional state in response to certain individuals and events.  If you are still puzzled by your emotional state, it will be important to continue to do some “post-event” analysis with a curious mindset to determine what might have triggered your emotions.  Be mindful of those ANTS – they can play havoc with mood! 

Month 7 - 2008 - Emotional Intelligence - Part 4 - Managing Emotions

This final EI skill involves the integration of emotions and thinking.  This is a core component of EI.  It requires “emotion regulation” or “emotion management”. 

Those high on this skill are able to think clearly when experiencing strong emotions and are often described as “even-tempered”.  Those not particularly well-skilled here are often viewed by others as being “bad-tempered” or as “losing their cool”. It’s also important to note that there are some individuals who are at the other end of the spectrum where there is a lack of emotional connection with a cold, logical approach taken, driven only by facts.

Suppression of emotion has been a hot topic of investigation in psychology.  Some of the research shows that it can lead to a negative impact on both our physical and mental health.  Studies have also shown that it can affect our memory ie emotional suppression of an event leads to lower memory recall. 

Key points:

1. Negative emotions are part of the human condition.
2. Negative emotional suppression or avoidance is common
3. Positive emotional states are sought out eagerly ie pursuit of pleasure & avoidance of pain.
4. Emotions pass.

Why is this skill so important?

Managing our emotional state is an important for overall self-management. Being able to utilise our emotions to enhance our thinking and our behaviours also helps us to generate solutions. 

Not being a good manager of our emotions can have serious ramifications.  Emotional distress affects our behaviours.  We often distract ourselves with “trivial pursuits” to avoid feeling the feeling.  

This Month's Action Plan - “Welcoming Unwelcome Guests”

Firstly, relying on the first skill of “identifying emotions” you can firstly ask yourself:

1. What emotion am I feeling?  How strong is this feeling?
2. How is this feeling influencing my thinking right now?
3. Is this a common unwelcome guest?
4. What are your current coping strategies for managing unwelcome guests ie are there any unhealthy behaviours you currently engage in to manage negative emotions eg smoking, drinking, eating, gambling, sex, retail therapy. 

Learning strategies to manage negative emotions is important for our mental health and psychological well-being.  There are a significant number of activities that can be utlised to reduce negative emotions and increase positive emotions.   These are healthy and positive alternatives to the common strategies that many of us engage in – only to feel worse afterwards.

Try one this month:

1. Taking care of your body.  Have a physical check-up with your GP and a psychological check-up with your psychologist. 
2. Positive Eating. Beware of “mood foods”.  Go for quality over quantity.  Consult a registered dietitian for personalised programs – see www.susieburrell.com.au
3. Avoid mood-altering drugs ie non-prescribed medications, recreational drugs, alcohol and caffeine.
4. Sleep Well. Know how many hours you personally need to function well at work.  Be committed to ensuring you get enough sleep on a regular basis.
5. Regular Exercise:  Go for at least 3 x a week x 40 minutes for enhanced physical and psychological well-being.
6. Learn mindfulness techniques to practice being an observer of your thoughts & feelings and learn to “sit” with the negative emotions until they pass – www.wellawareness.com.au.

Until next month, stay positive!

(adapted from Linehan, 1993)

Next Month…I’ll be continuing to discuss emotional intelligence in reference to social intelligence.  

"There is only one corner of the universe you can be certain of improving... and that's your own self”
Aldous Huxley

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