Unpacking Emotions from the Week. Moving Forward. Using The Emotion Meter.
Never before have executives asked me so much about how to unpack emotions from the week. And I’m not surprised. The amount of change, information and stress packed into one COVID day at the home office is unprecedented, in many ways.
While executives are masters at compartmentalization and execution, it’s virtually impossible to ignore the impact that the pandemic and current world events are having on everyone’s emotions.
Leading company teams through uncertainty and fielding hard life questions from adult children, leaves little room for top leaders to unpack, unload, and process emotions for themselves.
So, I can’t think of a more important or timely question coming from executives expected to lead organizations and families through the pandemic.
I admire the humility, honesty, and bravery it takes to ask me how to unpack emotions. The question exemplifies the kind of inner wisdom and self-awareness that make leaders strong and resilient.
The tool we’ve recently been turning to in coaching sessions is from the Positive Psychology Toolkit and it’s called - the Emotion Meter. In this post, I give a quick overview and a few tips to help you start unpacking and moving forward.
Above is the Emotion Meter chart which helps track emotions throughout the day, week, and month. Used to expand emotional vocabulary based upon the body’s emotional charge, it’s a quick and accessible way for executives to check-in and reflect on why they are experiencing an emotion. Perfect to use when following my Add 15 Daily Model.
*This tool was adapted from Nathanson et al.’s (2016) Mood Meter exercise by Lucida Poole (PsyD) and Hugo Alberts (PhD) and provided to Jen Porto and Energy Boss through the Positive Psychology Toolkit.
What I find is that my executive clients have spent very little to no time reflecting on emotions throughout the years. Not because they weren’t interested in getting in touch with emotions or didn’t feel. Rather, it was simply something they weren’t in the practice of doing while getting things done.
And now that the pandemic and world events are piling on layer upon layer, they are asking how to do it. They know it will help them clear their minds, release stress, sleep soundly, feel more energetic, and improve decisions.
So How Do You Use the Emotion Meter?
Part of a larger Emotion Meter exercise, I ask my executive clients to save the above chart to their phones as a quick reference. There is also an app available here to aid in daily reflection.
With a total of 100 emotions and 25 emotions per quadrant, executives build more self-awareness immediately. Clients check-in and track their emotions on a regular basis developing a larger vocabulary and a greater intuitive sense of emotional states - essentially, emotional intelligence.
I encourage them to take some time to feel the emotion in their bodies and write down why they feel the emotion is present. By unpacking emotions in a structured and practical framework, executives gain insights and enhance self-regulation and communication skills in real time while supporting overall wellbeing and creativity.
The Emotion Meter: Positive Psychology: The Science of What is Right
The Emotion Meter is part of the Positive Psychology Toolkit that I use often with executive clients. Positive Psychology has been defined in many ways over the years from the science of wellbeing, the science of what is right with people, and the science behind what makes life worth living.
The original definition from Dr. Martin Seligman during his Presidential year of the American Psychological Association in 1998, encompasses positive emotions, positive character, positive institutions, positive social relationships (added in 2007), and positive accomplishments and achievements (added in 2007). Positive Psychology is applied to self, home, family, work, school, social relationships, and community.
The Science of What is Right Drives Emotions, Leaders, and Greatness
As an executive wellness coach, I believe that everything great and sustainable comes from the science of what is right about us. Our emotions, strengths, values, passions, and talents come from what is right about us.
When we take the time to understand what drives us (emotions being an important part) we find greater resilience, solutions, and opportunities to pursue our purpose and impact the world.
Knowing How to Unpack Emotions is an Incredible Super Power and Competitive Advantage for any Executive.
If you’re reading this and thinking, “Now, I want to master the how. Turn my intention into reality.” then you’re probably ready to explore coaching. Let’s see if we are a fit.