Emotions in a work environment have an influence on people’s mental health. In this space we show you how emotional intelligence helps to improve work relationships and quality of life.
The workplace is one of the spaces in which we spend the most time. Taking this fact into account, emotions in a work environment significantly influence people’s quality of life.
When we feel comfortable at work, the emotions we feel are positive and it shows in other areas of life. On the contrary, when the work environment is hostile, the bad mood intensifies and we transfer the dislikes to other relationships.
What kinds of emotions can be felt in the work environment?
Emotions in a work environment are not always comfortable for employees. It is very likely that at some point we have all experienced emotional distress from employment.
Although all emotions are natural, it is important to know which ones can limit us. Let’s see it next.
Afraid
This primary emotion occurs in the work environment when we are not sufficiently sure of our abilities. This is that insecurity and low self-esteem generate a paralyzing fear in us.
We may think that we are unprepared for the work we do. That makes us afraid.
Vulnerability
This emotion is considered a symptom of weakness. However, good leaders are capable of being vulnerable to their team and admitting that they do not have all the answers.
In this context we must understand vulnerability as a positive emotion. Still, it can make us feel bad when we don’t accept it.
Sadness
Sadness is one of the emotions most frequently experienced at work. In principle, we feel sad when we perceive that our work expectations are not being fulfilled as we would like.
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It is an intense emotion that tends to cloud the mind. This means that when we are angry, we have difficulty thinking objectively. On the contrary, we seek to win arguments at any cost, thinking that we are absolutely right.
Importance of emotional intelligence in the work environment
Emotional intelligence is the ability of human beings to recognize our own and other people’s emotions. Based on this recognition we can improve the influence that our actions and emotions have in a work environment.
To have a good work dynamic, it is important to lose the fear of interacting with bosses and co-workers. In short, the better developed we have emotional intelligence, the better interpersonal relationships we will have in our workplace.
It would be a mistake to think that the work environment will adapt to all our demands. The most feasible for emotional well-being is one’s own adaptation to the workspace. In this sense, we must learn to take into account the emotions of others.
In summary, it is important to acquire skills that contribute to emotional intelligence. Essentially, empathy, assertive communication and strategic planning are the priorities.
How to practice emotional intelligence?
Now that we know the importance of emotional intelligence in a work environment, it is time to learn to use it in our daily lives. Next we will review a list with some practical recommendations that will help us to improve socializing habits. Go for it.
1. Do introspection
When we say that we have done introspection, we mean that we were able to look at ourselves objectively from an analytical perspective. To achieve personal objectivity, it is necessary to find a few minutes a day and dedicate them to doing this exercise.
Looking back helps us to review where the aspects to improve as people are. This is not about judging ourselves negatively, but about understanding why we have the conflicts that we have.
2. Find the right motivation
To make significant changes in life you need to find the right motivation. Sometimes we fail trying to change forcefully and quickly. There are no magic bullets or overnight changes.
To act empathetically, it is necessary to understand what are the benefits that this provides us. Hence the motivation to make the behavior naturalize in our way of acting. When the motivation is internal, the behavior changes last over time.
3. Learn from others
A good way to put emotional intelligence into practice is to accept that we can learn from others. This implies putting aside pride and identifying what are the aspects that I would like to incorporate from others that I know.
We are likely to meet assertive and empathetic people. The recommendation is to interact more with them and learn from their behavior. Obviously, the idea is not to depersonalize and copy, but to incorporate the good emotional resources of our relatives.
4. Evaluate progress
What is not measured cannot be practiced correctly. Therefore, it is necessary that we make a habit of intrapersonal evaluation. A good way to assess your progress is to review the extent to which your everyday conflicts decrease.
Taking moments of introspection and thought to evaluate life is one way to advance emotional intelligence.
5. Recognize emotions in real time
Although we cannot control all of our emotions, we can recognize them in a timely manner. In this way we will be aware of how we feel about a certain situation and we will be able to better choose the alternatives.
An example of the above would be when the behavior of others makes us angry. Instead of acting out of emotion, we avoid conflict because we know it is inappropriate.
What to do when the work environment is toxic?
You don’t have to work in a nuclear plant to be surrounded by a toxic work environment. Sometimes in the offices of any job we can feel uncomfortable with the way things work. A toxic workplace is one in which there is no harmony between workers and superiors are unable to solve it.
The best alternative to face a dysfunctional work environment is to express it clearly and assertively. The idea is not to find guilty or judge others, but to find possible solutions to problems.
