Have you ever felt crushed by a toxic environment at work?
Or frustrated with difficult stakeholders? We all experience moments in life that can be emotionally intense and difficult to manage. However, for working women, toxic environments can make you feel unable to control your emotional response in a tense scenario.
No one wants to shed a tear at work or wake up at 3 a.m. replaying a conversation in their mind—and it doesn’t have to be that way! With the right mindset and tools, you can take back your power and learn how to manage your emotional landscape without being overwhelmed by it.
In this article, I’ll explore:
How to recognise external factors that trigger internal responses
How to manage your emotional landscape
Steps to better control your response in stressful situations
What are common external factors that trigger challenging emotions?
Triggers can come in the form of:
Arguments or conflicts
Reminders of painful memories
Stressful interactions
Although these triggers are out of our control, it is important to understand that we can always control our internal response to them.
To do this, we must first recognise our triggers and learn to separate them from our reactions. This creates an opportunity to identify our thoughts and feelings and view them objectively. Once we understand our reaction to the trigger, we can make informed decisions about how best to manage our emotions.
It is possible to control how you respond to triggers and learn to look beyond the stimulus of the moment. By stepping back and reflecting on your situation before you react, you can choose how to best shape your environment and respond to potential challenges. Remember: you have the power to oversee your own destiny and control your emotional landscape.
How can I better control my emotional response?
Controlling your emotional response starts with understanding it. Once you gain insight into your own emotional landscape and what triggers your reactions, you can develop a plan to manage them effectively.
This might include:
Practicing calming and grounding techniques such as mindfulness, deep breathing, or progressive muscle relaxation
Developing positive coping strategies such as journaling, listening to music, or talking to a coach or therapist
Experimenting with different approaches to emotional regulation to find what works best for you
Top tips to deal with stressful stimulus in the short term
Take a deep breath – Slow, deep breaths reduce the physical effects of stress on the body and allow you to better assess the challenge ahead. Check out my breath work video here.
Enforce a pause – Use a statement like, “I’d like to reflect on this” to give yourself time to think and calm down before reacting.
Reach out to your support network – Lean on friends, family, or a coach/therapist for guidance in stressful situations.
Get curious – Ask yourself, “What is happening within me?” Combining deep breathing with curiosity helps regulate the parasympathetic nervous system and engages the rational part of your brain, preventing a fight/flight response.
It’s common to feel overwhelmed in emotionally taxing situations, but learning to understand and control your emotional response can help you navigate them more effectively.
The reality: Rates of turnover have never been higher. The impact of stress, heavy workloads, and toxic work cultures is taking a serious toll on working women everywhere.