Emotional success often refers to experiencing life’s positive results, as well as setbacks, and still coming out on top. It means you are satisfied with yourself more days than not, and that you do not allow negativity to drag you or others down. It means that you have ways to enjoy yourself that are not destructive and social network that is supportive and rooting for your success. Ultimately, it means you are able to deal with negative emotions when they arise, and that you don’t allow them to dominate your life or interfere with your personal or work life.
Five Keys to Emotional Success:
1) Resilience – This refers to how we bounce back from adversity or a negative experience. Being able to remain optimistic is key in research pertaining to resilience. Outlining goals, planning your next moves, and dodging around adversity are also important.
2) Self-Compassion – This is critical. You are definitely going to feel poorly at periods in life, and knowing ahead of time what you can do to take care of yourself is the best way to prepare for this. Self-compassion can include self-care activities, healthy distractions, channeling our energy into a hobby, or cuddling up with your pet.
3) Clear Boundaries – It is important to know who you are, what you feel, and who or what activities you should keep distance from. You cannot be emotionally successful around people who treat you poorly or unhealthy situations. Your emotions will invariably get caught up in their problems and poor behaviors. Learning about and practicing assertiveness will help in this respect.
4) Organization/Plan – There is a good mantra: “Have a place for everything and everything in its place”. This reduces anxiety and overwhelm and the depression and guilt that often result from them.
5) Put Fear In Its Place – Fear is an enemy to positive movement and optimism every time. Learning to manage your fear is the best gift you can give yourself. We all have fear. But it is how you manage the fear that determines your level of emotional success.