Ready to Explode at Work? Try These 10 Exercises for Practicing Emotional Control

You’re sitting in a meeting. Your coworker takes credit for your idea—again. Your manager sends a passive-aggressive email critiquing your latest project—right after you worked a late night to meet the deadline. Or maybe the printer just jammed for the third time, and it’s feeling like the final straw. 

Sound familiar? We’ve all experienced those moments at work when it feels like you might just snap. That’s where Emotional Control comes into play. 

What is Emotional Control? 

Emotional Control is one of the five key facets of Emotional Intelligence (EQ). It’s the ability to manage and direct your emotional responses, especially during challenging or frustrating situations, so you can respond constructively rather than impulsively. 

But why is emotional control so important in the workplace? For starters, it can improve your relationships with your boss and coworkers, since you'll be known as the person who keeps their head when everyone else is losing theirs. You'll also become more resilient to stress, better equipped to handle high-pressure situations, make more rational decisions, and even boost your overall career growth. Plus, being able to keep your cool at work helps your mental health by creating buffers against burnout and stress. 

The best part? Emotional Control is a skill like any other—it can be improved with practice. The exercises below are designed to help you strengthen your ability to manage your emotional responses. 

10 Exercises to Improve Emotional Control at Work 

1. Practice the pause 

The next time a frustrating situation arises, instead of reacting right away, take a moment to pause. Count to 10 in your head, take a few slow breaths, or imagine yourself stepping back from the situation physically. This intentional pause gives you space to think through your response rather than responding impulsively. 

2. Imagine this situation is happening to a friend

To stop your emotional responses from getting in the way of a good decision, imagine it's a friend, not you, experiencing the situation. How would you advise them to handle it? It's well known in psychology circles that people reason more rationally about other people’s problems than they do their own. This is called Solomon's Paradox, and it's why people are bad at taking their own advice.

3. Label your emotions 

When emotions are running high, it’s easy to get swept up in them. One way to regain control is by labeling what you’re feeling. Are you angry? Frustrated? Disappointed? Identifying your emotions gives you clarity and puts distance between you and the emotion you’re experiencing, making it easier to manage effectively. 

4. Use grounding techniques 

Grounding exercises are a great way to stay present and reduce the intensity of strong emotional reactions. Try the “5-4-3-2-1” technique by identifying five things you can see, four things you can touch, three things you can hear, two things you can smell, and one thing you can taste. It distracts your mind and brings your focus back to the present moment. 

5. Journal your triggers 

Keep track of the situations at work that trigger strong emotional reactions in you. Over time, you’ll start to notice patterns. Maybe you get reactive when someone interrupts you, or when you feel left out of important decisions. Understanding your triggers gives you the power to anticipate and prepare for them. 

6. Develop a workplace mantra 

A mantra is a short, calming phrase you can repeat to yourself when emotions start to take over. It could be something like, “I can handle this calmly,” or “This moment will pass.” The act of repeating a soothing statement can help ground you and reinforce your ability to stay in control. 

7. Visualize your ideal response 

Before walking into a stressful situation, take a moment to visualize your ideal response. Imagine yourself staying composed, expressing your thoughts calmly, and resolving the situation with confidence. Visualization can prime your brain for success and increase your chances of responding as you’d like. 

8. ... Or give yourself three options

If you struggle to visualize your ideal response in the moment,  give yourself three options for how you could respond to a situation. This is helpful since it stops you boxing yourself into one particular response and makes you think about the full range of options that you have. The process of thinking about a number of possible responses stops you from knee- jerking and helps you feel more in control. 

9. Take a break 

If the situation is particularly intense, it might be best to physically remove yourself from it for a few minutes. Go for a walk, grab some water, or take a bathroom break. This gives your mind and body time to calm down before returning to address the issue with a clear head. 

10. Redirect the trigger

Finally, if you know what triggers your emotions, try to redirect it to a more positive outcome. For example, if you feel frustrated when someone interrupts you, pass the buck back to them to take responsibility for their interruption, instead of allowing it to throw you off your game. You might say  “I see you have a lot of opinions on this topic. Let's discuss the potential impact of what you're saying and open the floor to others so we can explore alternative options as well.” By doing this, you maintain control of the situation and stay calm in the face of potential conflict.

Build Your Emotional Muscle Today 

Remember, Emotional Control isn’t about suppressing or ignoring your feelings—it’s about recognizing and managing them thoughtfully, particularly in challenging moments. The more you practice these exercises, the stronger your emotional control “muscle” will become. 

Want to dig deeper into Emotional Intelligence and find out how you score across key EQ facets like Emotional Control? Take Truity’s EQ Test today!