How can you avoid emotional hijacking?

I have suffered from anxiety/ panic attacks in the past and the main underlying culprit was emotional hijacking. While all the steps mentioned above are true, in my opinion the first step is “Acceptance”. Accepting that you are emotionally vulnerable might hurt your ego a lot but overcoming that has to be the first step, else one will not be able to do any of the subsequent steps effectively.

In my opinion and experience 1. First step to avoid emotional hijacking: Identify your emotional triggers. 2. Importance of being aware of emotional triggers: Helps you prepare and cope better. 3. Examples of external emotional triggers: Criticism, conflicts, and pressure. 4. Examples of internal emotional triggers: Beliefs, values, and memories. 5. Recognizing physical and mental signs of emotional arousal: Enables proactive calming and effective responses.

It's very important to recognize your body's signals, and keep in mind that often what we can't say or express ends up ends up to form a “mountain” of emotions and feelings, which can become an untimely avalanche. The cup overflowing by small triggers ends up happening because we don't take care of situations and emotions as a daily exercise. It is important to be attentive!

To avoid emotional hijacking: practice self-awareness, pause before reacting, show empathy, breathe, stay objective, communicate calmly, find healthy outlets, practice mindfulness, and seek support when needed.

Emotional hijacking is a phenomenon that occurs when our emotions take control of our thoughts and behavior. When we experience emotional hijacking, we may say or do things that we later regret. Identify your triggers. The first step is to identify the things that trigger your emotional reactions. Once you know what your triggers are, you can start to avoid them or develop coping mechanisms for dealing with them. Take a few deep breaths. When you feel yourself starting to get emotional, take a few deep breaths. Step away from the situation. If you find yourself in a situation that is triggering your emotions, step away from it for a few minutes. This will give you time to calm down and collect your thoughts.

The more I coach, the more I believe that when our spaces between the trigger and response increases, the outcome of that is always beneficial for everyone involved. To make sure, I follow the 5,4,3,2,1 approach and also share this with my clients. Here it goes : 5: Acknowledge FIVE things you see around you. 4: Acknowledge FOUR things you can touch around you. 3: Acknowledge THREE things you hear. 2: Acknowledge TWO things you can smell. 1: Acknowledge ONE thing you can taste.

When you pause and breathe, Acknowledge and experience the emotion fully instead of trying to avoid it. Once the message is acknowledged the postman will leave 😀

When you sense emotions intensifying, take a pause before reacting. Deep breathing exercises can help calm the nervous system and provide space for rational thinking. Engage in mindfulness practices to cultivate self-awareness and stay present in the moment. Mindfulness can help you observe emotions without being overwhelmed by them.

Challenge negative thoughts or interpretations that fuel emotional reactions. Reframe the situation by considering alternative perspectives and potential positive outcomes.

As a CEO, I have a personal & professional coach that helps me when I feel like things can be a bit overwhelming. I recommend to everyone that you take care of yourself before you can take care of your teams and organizations.

Rather than suppressing emotions, find healthy ways to express them. Talk to someone you trust or journal your feelings to release emotional tension.

Seek or not, everything and everyone is supported through, as it has been coded through the evolution. Support Is One Of The Biggest Realities Of Our Everyday Life Think of it, every single sphere of your life, personal, social, or professional, can you really live or function without being supported for your needs? No, you can’t. Your family members fulfill your need for love, care, companionship…. Your friends and acquaintances fulfill your need for camaraderie, sense of society/community, belongingness…. Your colleagues/managers fulfill your need for productivity, accomplishment, growth…. Consciously or unconsciously, You are being supported through, every single moment and day in your life.

Many of our emotions are deeply buried in our past. Traumatic experiences or life-altering events can influence how we respond today and although we can manage responses we still need to heal. This can be achieved through alternative medicine such as Reiki, some prefer coaching and others need to work through it with a therapist.

Reach out to friends, family, or a professional counselor to discuss your emotions and gain insights. Supportive conversations can provide perspective and alleviate emotional pressure.

The title of this article is misleading - we can’t avoid emotional/amygdala hijacks (it’s a way our brains evolved to deal with physical threats), but we CAN better manage them. One thing we can do is to become more aware of our ‘triggers’ and how we react physically to perceived threats. With this knowledge we should be better able to recognise an amygdala hijack in the moment (‘I can feel that I’m being triggered by what they’re saying…’) and have more control over how we respond to it.

Be honest with yourself Everyone has emotions but we often don't want to feel negative ones. Being honest that "I'm angry, I'm disappointed, I'm disgusted" is the first step. When a leader embraces and acknowledges emotions - - both good and bad - - then s/he can move to the next step: seeking a constructive way forward.

It's good to have tools that you can use in the moment, but just like physical fitness, you want to have an empowering daily routine that proactively reduces the risk of you getting triggered. Here are some examples that my clients found helpful: 1. Journaling 2. Walks 3. Affirmations 4. Mediations 5. Showing gratitude

I’ve learned this overtime: Don’t send that angry email. Get it all out on the screen and then sit on it over night. The next day with fresh eyes I review my email and work on maintaining my points by editing it so that it is productive and forward thinking and actioning.

Pause -- step back Think - analysis of the situation or word Ask for clarity - dont assume Take time - dont react but respond.