6 Steps Towards Emotional Mastery

See also: Self-Management

Being in control of your emotions can be difficult for many people. To become aware of your emotional state, and then take steps to direct it in a different direction that will work to your advantage, can seem like an impossible feat. This is where emotional mastery comes in.

Emotional mastery is the gradual process of attaining complete emotional control. This can help you achieve a better relationship with yourself and others and improve your overall health and wellness. It can also help you regain control of your mental and physical state.

Does this sound appealing? Read on to find out how you can take steps to master your emotions today.

1. Consider your feelings

The first step involves identifying how you are really feeling and then diving a little bit deeper.

Start by asking yourself how you are feeling. Are you having a good day? Are you sad? Are you nervous? By determining and intercepting these feelings early on, you can learn to take control and put yourself in the driver’s seat. You can then begin to question your emotions and understand why you may be feeling a certain way.

By repeating this practice over and over again, you can take steps to prevent yourself from becoming overwhelmed and annihilated by your emotions and be on your way to achieving full emotional mastery. By identifying the key driving forces behind your emotions, you can lower their intensity and learn to control them over time.

2. Acknowledge your emotions

Emotional mastery does not require you to fully suppress your emotions but just learn how to appreciate them as a fundamental component of your being.

You must be thankful that your brain is allowing you to decipher your emotions and respond in an appropriate manner. Do not punish your emotions or misinterpret what they are trying to tell you. It is important to not only accept your emotions but pay attention to them and take steps to respond to them in any way you see fit.

The idea that any of your feelings are wrong or incorrect only leads to the breakdown of honest communication barriers between yourself as well as others.

3. Pique your curiosity

Now that you have successfully intercepted your emotions, you can learn to approach them with a sense of curiosity.

True emotional mastery requires you to question the entire process from start to finish. If you are not inquisitive about your emotions, you may not be able to progress any further with the 6-step programme. By delving deeper into your feelings, you can learn a great deal about yourself and your relationship with others. This can lead to a wide range of benefits for you and those around you.

For example, curiosity can interrupt any progress you have made within your current emotional pattern. It can also help you to find solutions to any challenges or obstacles you may have. Finally, it can also help you to take steps towards preventing the same problem from occurring again in the future. Ask yourself what this emotion is offering you and what you can learn from it. This may help you determine whether you have misinterpreted your emotions or whether they require immediate action.



4. Get confident

As well as deciphering your emotions, you must be able to approach them with confidence and learn how to handle them again in the future.

By recalling a similar situation, your brain will automatically memorise your past response and trigger the same reaction. By familiarising yourself with the best method of responding to specific emotions, you can continue to recall these same responses over time. Simply realising that you have successfully handled this emotion before can reassure your brain and alleviate any worries or anxieties associated with this feeling.

If you have managed this emotion before, there is nothing stopping you from successfully managing it time and time again. Your brain is already equipped with the necessary tools to carry you through and ensure this particular emotion no longer causes you any undue distress.

What did you do in the past? Was this action successful? What questions did you ask yourself back then? These are all questions that you should be asking yourself each time you find yourself in the same situation.

5. Be certain

Having a plan in place can reassure you that you can now move on, certain that this emotion will no longer cause a problem for you or those around you. By establishing a plan, you can save yourself from failure.

There are a number of ways to do this. Firstly, remember exactly how you handled this emotion in this past. What questions did you ask yourself? What action did you eventually take? What led you to this specific plan of action?

Emotional repetition can construct a sense of calm and certainly to allow you to tackle any challenges head on. You can also rehearse your immediate response to the materialisation of this emotion again in the future. By practicing how you would respond, you can be certain that you know exactly how to react and calm your nerves. You may also want to come up with several ways in which you can alter your perception of the event.

6. Take action

You are now equipped with all of the necessary tools to achieve complete emotional mastery. Get excited about the fact that you can now control your emotions and disarm the situation with ease.

You are now ready to take immediate action and prove your progress. It is important not to limit yourself to your past emotions and realise that you now have complete control over how you feel and how to take the necessary action. Being able to capture your emotions and take action is an exciting development. You have now successfully identified how you are feeling and what it really means. You then delved deeper to uncover what it meant to you and what it was trying to teach you. Finally, you also discovered how to turn things around and rehearsed your individualised approach for future situations.



Understanding and Developing Emotional Intelligence

Further Reading from Skills You Need


Understanding and Developing Emotional Intelligence

Learn more about emotional intelligence and how to effectively manage personal relationships at home, at work and socially.

Our eBooks are ideal for anyone who wants to learn about or develop their interpersonal skills and are full of easy-to-follow, practical information.


Achieving full emotional mastery can benefit you as well as those around you. Aside from recognising your emotions, you can now learn how to intercept them and signal the appropriate response. The 6-step process of emotional mastery is a personal journey. It allows you to dive deeper within your emotional state to uncover what is really going on. It can allow you to take control of your feelings and improve the quality of your life. By applying it to your own life, you can boost your creativity and shape good habits that can last a lifetime if maintained.

As well as everything mentioned here, there are also a number of steps you can take to help you achieve a higher emotional state. This includes smiling often, practicing a series of deep breathing techniques, skipping, and laughing often. By tricking your brain into believing you are happy, you can achieve the same results.

Emotional mastery is not for everyone, but you do not know until you try. Why not take that first step today and start your journey towards a life of complete emotional control?


About the Author


Zoe writes and researches articles for a wide variety of career websites, blogs and magazines, has a strong understanding of current business trends and a passion for entrepreneurism.

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