While it is imperative to understand that we have been gifted with two sides of a brain, left and right, and both influence us differently, unique to each individual, we cannot assume the two sides to have a distinct and clear demarcation, like an on and off switch, or as charted out on a piece of drawing. It is often said that you are left-brained if you’re more analytic than creative and you are right-brained if you’re more creative than analytical.

The Left Brained Vs. Right Brained debates have often concluded the Right Brained person to be driven by emotions, so much so, genders have also been assigned to each side of the brain. However, who decides which side is dominant?

The power of choice in this case was never ours in the first place. Since we have no choice, it is obvious that we are influenced by both sides of our brains, and yes, regardless of our gender. This brings us to today’s question – How do we deal with our emotions at the workplace?

The power of emotions has often been ridiculed and shunned in a business setting, terming it as feminine, almost synonym to weakness. However, those who truly understand the power of emotions will never place it in the same basket as that of weakness. The only catch is that these emotions must guide oneself positively and not be a hindrance to yourself or anyone else. As it is almost written in stone that decisions at the workplace based on emotions have a negative outcome, most of us fail to comprehend that emotions will always be a part and parcel of being who we are, Humans, and we will never be able to separate ourselves from them. But we can definitely manage our emotions.

The line that divides our range of emotions and our consecutive actions is what we term as Emotional Intelligence, and its a remarkably thin line to consciously recognize. This is where your Emotional Quotient (EQ) plays a crucial part.

Scientists and psychiatrists have termed Emotional Quotient as the ability to understand our emotions as well as others’ emotions and use them in a positive way to manage our relationships, relieve stress and build and empower each other with the aim of spreading peace and empathy. In a more personal setting, Emotional Quotient simply means the ability to allow yourself to perceive unspoken words, comprehend different attitudes and sense the various auras around you, a concoction of complexities and diversities, negative and positive, and use all these combinations to influence yourself positively, almost like a challenge to rise as beautiful sand dunes after a desert storm that no one ever witnessed. Is it any different at the workplace? Most like not. We often succumb to focusing our energies on developing our Intelligence Quotient (IQ) assuming that it is the answer to all our worries. People management is an integral part of our work life and in order to effectively do so, we must work towards developing our EQ.

How do you manage your emotions and behavior?

1. Draw out your boundaries and make it universally known. Remember, in the end everything becomes personal if your boundaries are faded or misguided. While it is important to get to know people, it is also important to not step on their toes. Learn how to draw these crucial lines because in this digital age, everyone is a click away.
2. Speak your mind concisely and unapologetically, but hear it out yourself first. Honest communication is remarkably effectively, in the correct tone and manner.
3. Do not get offended by criticism. This is a difficult but important trait that must be developed, and it is often always work in progress for almost everyone alive. A good start to this is by recognizing your strength and weaknesses. However, learn to differentiate between positive criticism and a condescending tone.
4. Observe, be alert at all times and learn how to be a good judge of character. It gifts you with foresight.
5. Forgive yourself for your mistakes, as long as you learn from them. Forgive others for their mistakes as well. It’s definitely easier said than done, but learn how to let it go. Not all battles are for winning.
6. Be You. There is no fun in imitation. We live in times where a Man of Principle is looked down upon for being rigid and probably old fashioned. Hold on to them regardless of the derision. By being yourself, you earn nothing of great monetary value or recognition, but you definitely earn yourself a clear conscience which goes a long way, be it in your workplace or your personal life.
7. Have empathy. This is self-explanatory and it’s a trait that cannot be bought off any university catalogue. It starts with baby steps of putting yourself into someone else’s shoes. Again, easier said than done, but if you happen to climb the ladder, do not forget where you started from.
8. Be aware of what you feel. As much as you don’t need to have everyone peep into your emotions, it is of utmost importance to always be aware of what you are feeling and more importantly, WHY you are feeling so i.e. Be analytic of your emotions. This will help you to be decisive and stern when the time and place is right. A wavering mind leads to wavering decisions, a trait that is not appreciated in any wake of life.
9. Embrace change. Nothing is permanent in this world, not even our opinions and strategies. If time demands change, so be it.
10. Switch off, every day. Meditation isn’t simply about closing your eyes and chanting a million times over. Rather, it’s a constant state of mind, which can only be achieved when you are with yourself, and in an introspective mode. Learn how to control your mind so that it does not control you. A strong mind is not devoid of emotions. Rather, it’s mastered the crucial art of control. A controlled mind is a positive and happy mind.

That’s all folks! We hope this article will persuade you to start working on your EQ!