Don’t let runaway emotions sabotage your success. Use them to support your success.
Emotions are like a barometer. They give a measure of the atmospheric pressure within the human inner landscape. However, unlike the earth’s atmospheric pressure, we largely dismiss our internal emotional state. Why?
Well, there are many reasons we turn a blind eye to our emotions. Some include the discomfort of certain emotions. Not only that, but it takes time to process emotions. Time we think we don’t have when in reality, unprocessed emotions cost tremendous amounts of time, money, and energy. What’s more, we fear losing control if we let our guard down and feel the fullness of emotion. And to a large extent, lack of education. Many people’s emotional knowledge is about the depth of a shallow pond compared to the depth and breadth of the world’s oceans, much less knowing how to manage emotions successfully.
Your brain is only the tip of the iceberg.
Here’s a better solution. Reinvent leadership development by educating the whole leader.
Let me explain. The body is wise, whereas the rational mind doesn’t always have all the answers. Together, mind and body supercharge a leader’s EQ.
Daniel Goleman popularized emotional intelligence in the 1990s, becoming a widespread and coveted leadership skill.
EQ focuses on knowing how to manage emotions. Research shows that leaders with high EQ lead teams more effectively and produce more significant business results.
Somatic Awareness is complementary to EQ and supercharges it because it increases our ability to perceive and understand our emotions better.
Think of it. The body knows before the brain does. Thus what happens in the body influences our emotions and vice versa. We tend to link our body sensations to different emotions. For example, “pain in the neck,” “gut-wrenching,” and “chilling.”
The critical factor Somatic Awareness brings is monitoring one’s bodily sensations and responding to its signals to enhance the emotional perception needed to make EQ more effective.
Somatic Awareness in practice.
One thing is for sure. Emotions significantly influence our rational thinking. In an uncertain, complex, and ambiguous world, we can’t continue to try to ignore, control, or fix our emotions.
Emotions are important signposts. How we work with them affects how successful we are. Somatic Awareness generates the foresight we need to make the right decisions at the right time and move forward in a more precise, efficient, and informed direction.
As you begin diving into Somatic Awareness, here’s some guidance to grow your skill set.
Get out of your head. If your breath is short and shallow, your fuse probably is too. Take note of all the day-to-day bodily sensations happening below the surface of your brain.
Notice your triggers. We all have triggers that throw us into our fight-flight-freeze modes. What are your triggers? Awareness is the first step toward change.
Be honest with yourself. When you note a change in your mood, ask yourself the following questions:
- What do I feel at this very moment?
- Where in my body do I feel it?
- If this sensation could speak, what would it say?
Paying attention to our internal emotional state affects the level of success we achieve, and the best way to power up your EQ is by starting with Somatic Awareness.