Tool: Contagion protection
Your colleagues' emotions can be contagious. You might have experienced this yourself if you have found your sense of Certainty or Belonging has been threatened after a colleague has shared their worries with you.
Take a look at how you can protect yourself from catching other people's limbic reactions.
Recognize the Contagion
Recognize the Contagion
Recognize the Contagion
The first step is to know that emotional contagion exists. Just knowing that our emotions can be influenced by others (and that our emotions can influence others) is an important first step.
Start to notice how you feel when confronted with someone else’s emotions. Try to observe and name their emotions rather than be affected by them.
Protect Yourself
Recognize the Contagion
Recognize the Contagion
When your limbic system responds automatically to someone’s emotions or their reactive behaviour, there is little opportunity to be conscious about your response. With practice, you can learn to slow down and be more conscious and intentional about your responses – choosing a response that supports collaboration, or better working relati
When your limbic system responds automatically to someone’s emotions or their reactive behaviour, there is little opportunity to be conscious about your response. With practice, you can learn to slow down and be more conscious and intentional about your responses – choosing a response that supports collaboration, or better working relationships.
One way to do this is to use the Aware, Breathe, Choose – ABC – tool to calm your limbic system and bring you back to your PFC, where you will have access to different options of how you could respond.
Becoming masterful at responding consciously takes practice. Try it out, notice the impact and keep practising. You will notice a difference in your ability to respond over time.
Prepare yourself
Recognize the Contagion
Prepare yourself
Have you had a chance yet to practise using ABC before you go into a potentially heated situation? This short exercise will allow you to get yourself grounded, and to choose a mindset that will protect you from limbic and toxic behaviours from others, and enable you to stay in relationship. Give it a try.
You may also find it useful to use
Have you had a chance yet to practise using ABC before you go into a potentially heated situation? This short exercise will allow you to get yourself grounded, and to choose a mindset that will protect you from limbic and toxic behaviours from others, and enable you to stay in relationship. Give it a try.
You may also find it useful to use ABC when you want to keep a supportive mindset going into a conversation. For example, when you need to give someone feedback that might be difficult for them to receive, getting to a mindful state before the conversation will help you be constructive and support or develop the other person rather than blame or criticise them.