How Emotions Feed Stress
By Dr Jill Ammon-Wexler
Pioneer Brain/Mind Researcher
© 2005 All Rights reserved
www.quantumbraingym.com

A coworker makes a passing comment about the condition of your desk, and a sudden rush of heat rolls up your neck and onto your face. You squeeze your fists in an attempt to control yourself.  On one level you know your intense stress is overblown, but you feel ready to level him with a barrage of unkind words.

To be effective as a friend, significant other, coworker, manager, leader -- or in whatever role you are playing -- learning to manage your emotional responses is a critical step toward stress free personal effectiveness.

But by this I do not mean stuffing or repressing your emotions.  Not at all.  Too many of us were taught that as children, and it just creates more stress.  What I am suggesting is to develop your emotional intelligence (EQ) -- an aspect of our native intelligence that runs high in successful leaders and naturally happy people.

So what are emotions.  Emotions are energy in motion (e-motion).  They are our energetic bodily response to how we interpret something inside or outside ourselves.

Our emotions actually reflect our beliefs about ourselves, and about life itself.  For example, if you believe that you ARE your work and you suddenly lose your job, you’re likely to feel overwhelming emotions of fear and rage.

But suppose you view your job simply as only one aspect of your life.  And you are confident you have valuable marketable skills and qualities.  In that case your feelings about losing your job will probably be a whole lot different, and less packed with overwhelming negative emotions.

Emotional mastery (high EQ) gives us the ability to process our emotions so that we receive their message, and use their energy for appropriate action.  A high EQ is a sign you are aware of what is going on inside of you, and are able to manage your emotions responsibly. Along with this goes the ability to recognize other peoples emotions, and respond to them constructively.

Our emotions are only a problem when we let them run our lives, or we totally miss the message that they carry.  The bottom line is this: How you feel in any situation reflects what you believe about yourself and your situation. Master your beliefs, and you'll master your emotions.

Knowing that you can change how you feel simply by changing how you think about each experience is a powerful concept.

How to use this information
Begin to examine any beliefs you hold around emotions and the situations triggering them.  Just start by becoming more consciously aware of your emotions.  If you feel upset about something you might ask yourself: How can I reinterpret this event in a such a way that I can feel good, or at least OK. 

Observe your emotions when they arise, and identify any judgments you might have about them.  Focus on listening to the message they hold for you.  This alone will begin to built your valuable emotional intelligence (EQ).  And along with increased EQ comes less stress and more personal satisfaction.

The best way to tame your emotions to get inside the source. Click here!

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