How to control (and take advantage of) your emotions

Opinions expressed by Entrepreneur contributors are their own.

Pixar , the genius of animation, has among its list of films Intensa-Mente ( Inside Out ) that stars Riley, a girl who after moving to a new city has to “battle” against the emotions that live in her head. Although it is a film -which is also aimed at children- it provides valuable lessons to anyone (especially managers and entrepreneurs) about the control of emotions. We all feel joy, sadness, fear, displeasure, and anger; However, emotional intelligence helps us not only to control them, but to take advantage of them to become leaders and successful people.

Below we analyze the emotions that are presented in this film and we will tell you how to act when one of them takes over you. Remember that it is not bad to feel them, but the important thing is not to allow this to overtake you and affect your reputation:

1. Joy

Clearly, joy is a positive emotion that brings out the best in us. Someone cheerful tends to infect his team with this attitude and act more eagerly. However, too much joy can affect your performance, why? Because when we are very happy about something, we tend to neglect the rest, especially those issues that cost us the most.

So those days when you feel particularly happy, try two things: share that emotion with others and let it permeate your company; and take advantage of it in a way that becomes a motivation to work better and not to distract you.

2. Sadness

There are days where you just can’t get out of bed; you feel sad and depressed. This emotion is common among entrepreneurs who have faced failure or who have not seen the fruits they dreamed of from their business. But you must be careful, as this emotion can be the most destructive for someone who wants to succeed.

It is difficult, but when you start to feel “down,” you must act immediately. Surround yourself with people who make you smile and give you good advice, whether they are co-workers, friends or family. Be honest about what you are feeling and look for things that make you happy, like going to the movies, walking, traveling, being with your children, whatever! Think that only you are responsible for changing that attitude and seeing things from a new perspective.

^{Image: Pixar Animation Studios / Walt Disney Pictures}

3. Fear

It is probably the most common emotion among entrepreneurs and those who are deciding whether to make the leap. It’s normal for you to fear losing your financial security, sacrificing your time, failing, and even “what will they say.” Fear can paralyze you and prevent you from pursuing your dreams, but it can also become a great motivator.

For fear to translate into something positive, you must learn to get out of your comfort zone (little by little), doing things that you normally would not do. Then it is important that you learn to live with this feeling, reducing it by preparing yourself to the maximum, contemplating risks and building confidence in yourself.

4. Dislike

There are many things that, as an entrepreneur, you can dislike: from the lack of support and the mistakes you make, to the attitude of certain employees or your partner . When you let this emotion control you, your countenance is continually complaining and impatient, and it is particularly common in those who are perfectionist and negative.

This emotion can seriously affect the morale of your team and everyone who works with you. To reduce it, it is recommended that you adopt a much more patient and tolerant attitude. When you witness something that you don’t like or that bothers you, try to find the positive aspects of it and, above all, try not to show your dislike without even listening to the other person. Stop always seeing the glass as half empty and start seeing it as half full.

5. Anger. We all have the right to get angry from time to time; What’s more, if we didn’t get angry about certain situations, we couldn’t consider ourselves human. But at the same time, those people who do not know how to control themselves and are carried away by anger can be extremely damaging to the business and its people.

If you are the type of person who gets angry easily or with too much intensity, it is time for you to begin to mature and measure what you say and do. No matter what the situation is, you should never get carried away and insult or treat anyone badly. Learn to use your anger and frustration to seek solutions and not to attack others.

Source