Emotion Wheel: How It Can Help You Manage Stress

The reality is that work is stressful. And occasionally, it can be challenging to control our emotions.

Though feelings can be helpful in most cases, when we are not fully aware of or in touch with them, things might get out of hand, overwhelming, or even out of control.

But emotions are just as crucial in our work lives as in our personal lives. The question is, how can we use them to our advantage? The emotion wheel is the solution.

The emotion wheel: what is it?

There are various kinds of emotion wheels. Here, we'll focus on the emotion wheel developed by Dr Robert Plutchik. This is a tool for establishing a language for discussing feelings while considering their nuances, reactions, and responses.

The Plutchik emotion wheel recognises eight categories:

• Acceptance

• Anger

• Anticipation

• Disgust

• Fear

• Joy

• Sadness

• Surprise

Every emotion has its opposite, and they are all colour-coded. For instance, joy and sadness appear next to one another. It's also possible to combine emotions to create a new "sub" emotion. Every emotion, as per Dr Plutchik, stems from one of the wheel's primary categories.

How can you put it to use?

1. Learn about your emotions and how you react to them.

The emotion wheel can help you better understand your emotional responses and how certain situations or events affect how you feel.

Emotions can be obvious at times. However, there may be instances when you are unsure of how you feel. You can better understand and control your reactions if you use the emotion wheel whenever you have a complex response, whether in a work situation or not.

2. Make it a habit to "check-in."

Once you understand your emotional triggers and responses, you may begin to train yourself to check in with yourself rather than react quickly. That implies you won't have to be concerned about responding rashly. The emotion wheel will enable you to take a beat before becoming hasty with emotions like anger or annoyance, for example. You must always conduct yourself professionally, even when others aren't.

3. Understand how to read the emotions of others.

Another benefit of using the emotion wheel is that it will help you better grasp your colleagues' feelings and responses. It might be tough to imagine yourself in someone else's shoes, especially when their point of view differs from yours. This is particularly true during a heated debate or conflict.

However, employing the emotion wheel visualisation might help you better understand where they're coming from and what they could be feeling inwardly. And once you have that understanding, you will be more prepared to navigate challenging conversations and situations.

4. Recognise work dynamics.

A workplace contains complex variables, such as varied personalities, varying expectations, and unique work styles and methods. Workplace politics are also at work. The emotion wheel can assist you in negotiating the complexities of your workplace, such as nonverbal clues, opposing opinions, approaches to tasks, and so on. As a result, you will be able to become a more insightful worker.

5Finally, the emotion wheel can help you enhance your emotional intelligence, which is essential while dealing with various situations and personalities. You will develop into a better professional and more attentive human being as you master this art.