We have all faced difficult situations at some point.
All of us at some point have wanted to scream, or as they popularly say, “hang up the towel” or “hang up the gloves” in the face of a situation that displeases or depresses us.
Why did we go to this extreme? The answer is very simple: Lack of self-control in managing your emotions.
Self-control is synonymous with emotional intelligence.
No matter how difficult a situation is, we have to be strong and calm, as only then can we make more coherent decisions.
Making a decision when we have negative emotions, such as anger or sadness, is not ideal.
In addition, when we are depressed our immune system also weakens and leads us to suffer from diseases of the nervous system, the cardiovascular system, the digestive system, among others.
Having self-control leads us to full freedom of our actions and our decisions. Therefore, in this article I want to share with you some tips for managing your emotions in difficult situations:
1. Take Time To Meditate
Meditation helps you control anxiety. Give yourself time to think, but to think assertively.
If you have a problem, think about whether it has a solution, and if it doesn’t, then let the situation be channeled calmly.
By achieving control of your thoughts, you will know how to face a situation.
It is not trying to limit your emotions (we are human and obviously we need to cry or even scream), but to be able to have a healthy balance over them.
2. Look For The Good Side Of Things
As the saying goes “bad weather good face.”
Although it sounds cliché, the reality is that even if we are in the middle of difficult situations, there will absolutely always be something good in our lives for which we feel grateful, and even lessons to learn.
Always think that a situation, no matter how difficult it may seem, can teach you a lesson.
For example, if a business went bad for you, evaluate the why of things and think positively, so you can give yourself an opportunity to improve.
There is no point in dwelling on the fact that it is a difficult situation. Everything has a purpose, so I encourage you to have the ability to change your negative thoughts into positive ones.
Learn from a difficult situation to improve, and move on.
3. Use Distraction as a Tool to Control Your Emotions
Use the distraction of your mind to control your emotions.
Faced with a difficult situation in which you cannot control your thoughts, the best alternative is to be able to do any other activity, such as sports, reading, a walk outdoors or a few hours of swimming.
This will help you relax and distract yourself from that difficult situation.
Distraction turns out to be a favorable tool to cancel negative emotions, in this way you will prevent these thoughts from having dominance over you.
4. Try to Recognize Your Physical Reactions
Faced with a difficult situation, for example of nerves or stress, our physical body emits a series of responses.
Therefore, learning to identify them will help you control your emotions, and not act with impulse at a certain moment. If you need to relax, find different ways to try until you come up with one that makes you lighten the load and really enjoy the present.
5. Visualize Possible Situations
If you are aware that an event may represent a difficult or uncomfortable situation for you, being able to identify it will allow you to visualize how you could respond to it.
Being a little more prepared will help us easily control our emotions.
6. Put yourself in the other person’s place
If we are in a difficult situation in which more people are involved, using empathy can help us control our emotions.
Also, putting ourselves in the other person’s shoes is an opportunity to understand the situation and achieve a timely solution.
7. Rest The Necessary
As difficult as a situation may seem, allow yourself enough rest.
Lack of sleep can greatly affect your reactions. Get enough sleep.
If you’re at work, allow yourself to take a break to rest a bit and continue.
8. Lean On Other People
When you feel that you cannot control your emotions in a difficult situation, seek the guidance of an experienced person who is you trust .
Being able to express your feelings to this person will give you the opportunity to have another perspective on the problem and to know how to act.
Learning to control your emotions will help you achieve true emotional intelligence .
Having self-control of your thoughts and your moods will help you visualize possible solutions to regulate negative thoughts and prevent them from taking control of your mind and your actions.
