How to Manage Emotions At Work

Life feels heavy right now for many across the United States (and the world). I have had multiple conversations with people, and the constant theme I am hearing is that people are feeling sad, anxious, depressed, and deflated.

Why I’m writing this because these same people I’m having private conversations with are members of your community, team, and workforce. It might even be you feeling this way. As a leader, it’s important to know how to support people and provide support. You’re not likely to get the best out of them (or yourself) despite the once popular belief that work and personal lives can’t be separated. Humans are not able to compartmentalize their feelings like that for long durations of time. Sure, you might be able to suppress emotions for an hour meeting, but it’s not happening for full work days.

I’m writing this as I myself am struggling. It’s hard to think about content ideas when so many things feel inappropriate or irrelevant to the current time. It’s hard to motivate myself when some days I feel hopeless or uncertain about the future.

Can you relate? Have you noticed this energy or mood within yourself or on your team or within your social circles?

If so, here are some reminders of how you can support yourself and others going through difficult times. Now what I’m suggesting is not simply let it go or ignore how you’re feeling, but it is important to work with yourself, to regulate your nervous system. As someone who struggles with depression, I’m teetering on wanting to shut down, and I know that for myself, my business, my family, I can’t just give up.

Tips for managing emotions during difficult times:

1. Hum. Yes, humming. According to Psychology Today, humming produces vibrations that ripple through the body stimulating the vagus nerve (your body’s longest nerve that connects the heart, lungs, gut). Stimulating the vagus nerve helps to reduce the fight-or-flight response that many of us are in right now. 

2. Sigh. Did you know that sighing can reduce stress even more than inhaling deeply? Sighing is a great way to help your body reset physically and mentally. 

3. Practice gratitude. To demonstrate the importance of gratitude, think of this quote “what you focus on becomes your reality.” If all you focus on during difficult times are the difficult times you will only find difficulty. While this is easy to do (again coming from someone with depression) it only furthers us wanting to shut down. When you want to shift your mindset, find gratitude.  Practicing gratitude builds resilience, strengthens connection/relationships, and can even strengthen your immune system. Gratitude can be a simple observation like, I’m grateful I woke up today, or it can be a list of things big or small. Don’t put limits on what it needs to look like, just ask yourself, “What am I grateful for?”

4. Sing. Singing releases endorphins, serotonin, and dopamine. Those are the feel-good or happy chemicals that can boost your mood. Singing has been proven to lower cortisol and relieve stress and tension. Feeling down, put on a song and belt out a tune.

5. Laugh. My go-to hack is to turn on something funny (comedy specials, reels), or think about funny times.

6. Journal. Don’t just let those feelings spin in your head. Work them out on paper. Help your brain process what you’re feeling.

7. Talk to someone you trust. It’s okay not to be okay. Phone a friend. Work with a therapist. Don’t feel like you have to manage this on your own.

8. Stretch. Help your body reduce the tension. Move your body.

9. Walk. Walking even 10 minutes a day can help to reset your nervous system. Bonus, if you’re outside for 15 minutes, you can boost your vitamin D.

10. Get ready. During difficult times, getting ready can feel like the hardest chore. However, when you get ready, it can shift your mind and your mood. Take off the yoga pants, brush your teeth, and take a cold shower. It might be a more accessible way to shift your mood.

11. Focus on what you can control. You can’t control everything, but you can control how you show up in your communities, families, and workplaces. Be the change you want to see in the world.

There are many things that you can do to manage emotions during difficult times, many that I haven’t listed. It’s not about what you do; it’s important that you find something that works for you. 

Sending you love,

Jenn

Want a Speaker Who Can Help Your Team Recharge, Reset, and Reconnect? Let’s talk.

I'm Jenn DeWall—a Denver-based workplace culture expert, mental health and mindset speaker and trainer. I help organizations build emotionally intelligent leaders, boost wellbeing, and create teams that perform without burning out.

Whether you need a keynote, a workshop, or “work therapy with a mic,” I bring high-energy, relatable sessions packed with tools your people will actually use.

Email me at hello@jenndewall.com to work with me as a speaker, executive coach, or emcee.