Working life is constantly changing. The pressure to stay up to date and meet rising efficiency demands seems to grow by the day. In this environment, the only way to sustain yourself is to listen to yourself and use emotional skills at work.
The pace of change in today’s workplace is relentless – technologies evolve, AI takes over more tasks, and global competition drives continuous improvement and cost-efficiency.
So how do you take care of yourself and cope at work in the middle of all this change and pressure?
The classic keys to workplace well-being – clear roles, well-defined tasks, and clear goals – are becoming harder to define.
In complex work environments, goals can shift quickly, and clear job descriptions may not even exist.
While it’s still worth holding onto these familiar strategies when possible, we also need something more. We need the ability to:
- recognize how we’re feeling in the moment, and
- bring those emotions into our working life.
Here are six emotional skills to help you cope better at work.
(But before we dive in, let’s remind ourselves: it’s always the employer’s responsibility to ensure workloads are reasonable and the conditions for sustainable work are in place.)
1. Learn to recognize your emotions
How does work feel for you today?
What emotions have been showing up most often over the past month?
Emotions can feel like a vague lump inside us – but they start to take shape when we name them.
Am I feeling anxious, frustrated, or angry?
Or am I feeling excited, satisfied, or proud?
When you can recognize how work feels, it becomes easier to notice the messages or needs behind those emotions.
2. Talk about emotions at work
Just as important as recognizing your own emotions is sharing them with colleagues.
Opening up increases understanding – and often brings huge relief: Phew, I’m not alone in this – others feel the same way here too!
Workplaces need more humanity and emotional openness, because emotions are always present and influencing us – whether we talk about them or not.
3. Marinate in the positive
Negative emotions grab our attention more easily than positive ones. This creates a negative bias, where we focus on what’s wrong and overlook what’s good.
In the middle of stress, frustration, irritation, or exhaustion, it can be hard to notice that there are also positive emotions at work.
Think about that moment when you shared a laugh with a colleague in the hallway, or the feeling of relief when you finished a task.
It’s worth pausing to tune into the positive emotions that are part of your workday.
When you notice small moments of relief, excitement, or joy – don’t rush past them.
Pause for even half a minute and really feel what it’s like to be joyful or relieved.
Focusing on positive emotions strengthens them, and over time, you’ll start noticing the good things more easily.
4. Build a sense of control
If your workdays feel like chaotic traffic jams, ask yourself: What small steps could help me feel more in control?
One simple trick: each morning, write down the one most important thing you want to accomplish today. Put it somewhere visible (like the corner of your screen), and once you’ve done it, remove the note.
Unfinished tasks drain energy – but completing something frees up mental space. That’s why it’s important to consciously notice your progress.
Another tip: pause from time to time and ask yourself, Is what I’m doing right now truly important?
5. Stop multitasking – work with your emotions
Brain researchers agree: multitasking is inefficient, and constantly switching focus is exhausting.
Make a conscious choice to do one thing at a time. You’ll be more productive and feel less drained.
Also, consider whether your emotional state matches the task at hand. Emotions greatly influence your performance and brain function.
Negative emotions narrow your thinking, making it harder to see the big picture. Positive emotions unlock creativity.
Do an emotional check-in: What kind of action does my current emotional state support?
Am I feeling flexible and open enough to think creatively?
If the answer is no, take time to calm down or release tension before tackling demanding tasks.
And if you’re feeling anxious or irritated, it might be best to handle routine tasks that don’t require deep thinking.
6. Practice micro-recovery
When was the last time you felt truly rested?
If it was yesterday or over the weekend – great.
If you can’t really remember, it’s time to pay attention to recovery.
Modern work often makes us think that recovery happens only outside of work hours. But work and well-being aren’t separate.
That’s why recovery needs to happen both outside of work (evenings, weekends, vacations) and during the workday (micro-recovery).
Every workday needs small moments of micro-recovery – tiny breaks where you pause and check in with yourself: How am I doing? How do I feel?
Micro-recovery can be as simple as a real coffee break where you step away from your desk – not just sipping coffee in front of your screen.
Or just take 20 seconds to breathe deeply and tune into how you’re feeling.
When you practice micro-recovery regularly throughout the day, your body learns to reset faster.
You can’t save energy for later – but you can invest in emotional skills
Wouldn’t it be nice if you could eat, sleep, or recharge in advance? Unfortunately, it doesn’t work that way.
Even if you rest up before a busy period, you can’t push through week after week without pausing and recovering. That’s why caring for your well-being needs to be part of every day.
But here’s the good news: building emotional skills is like putting energy in the bank. When you act with more emotional awareness, you’ll have more capacity to cope at work.
Want to add emotional skills to your personal toolkit?
Check out our Emergy® SKILLS online training. You’ll learn over 20 practical emotional skills to strengthen your workplace well-being and communication – at your own pace.
