Exercise 8: Free-Flowing Versus Controlled Emotions

<– Back to Work Program (EMG)

Think for a moment about how you relate to your emotions.

Is it common for you to show your emotions without restraint? If so, how do people react when you show your emotions in full? Do you enjoy expressing your emotions in this way? Or do you prefer to express your emotions in a more controlled way?

Is there a difference in the way you express your positive emotions, such as joy, happiness, contentment, friendship, or love, compared to negative emotions, such as sadness, anger, frustration, etc.? Which type of emotions do you apply more control to?

Do you try to emphasize or tone down some of your emotions to suit their intensity to the current circumstances? For example, do you try to express your grief more intensely at the funeral of a close friend’s family member? Would you try to disguise your sadness over an unpleasant personal incident if you were at a friend’s birthday party?

Perfectionism causes many people to think that they should control their emotions and express them according to the circumstances. This leads to manipulation of emotions, which hinders emotional growth. How do you feel about this?

<– Back to Work Program (EMG)