Journaling is a tool anyone can use to develop their self-awareness and to recognize, label, and understand their emotions.
Take a moment to sit with your emotions. Write down responses to the following:
"Today I am feeling..."
"I am feeling this way because..."
"How are my current feelings affecting the way I am behaving?"
Many laboratorians should be familiar with the "5 Whys" tool for performing a root cause analysis. This tool can easily be used in conjunction with journaling to get to the root cause of your emotions. If you answered "Today I am feeling upset", ask yourself why? Continue to ask yourself why until you think you reached the root cause of your emotion. This is a great way to get curious about your emotions.
This quick assessment of our emotions can be done at any time.
You can also use this tool at the beginning of your day by purposefully stating positive emotions and intentions. For example, at the start of the day write down or say "Today I want to be (choose a positive adjective, such as positive/happy/courageous/confident/calm), and I want to present to people in the same way."
