High Performance Mindset | Learn from World-Class Leaders, Consultants, Athletes & Coaches about Mindset - 330: How to Deal with Your Emotions During Uncertainty

Episode Date: April 21, 2020

Cindra discusses how to deal with your emotions during this time of uncertainty and change. She describes that your mindset drives everything – how you live, the stress you feel, and how you lead. Remember all of your emotions are valuable. Emotions are not good or bad. By labeling your emotions, you can understand what led to that feeling with curiosity and openness. Your emotions are data not directives, as Dr. Susan David describes. You can show up and act despite how you are feeling. This week’s Power Phrase:  “I respond with purpose and intention. I use my emotions as data.”

Hi friends, my name is Dr. Sindra Kampoff, a national leader in the field of sport and performance psychology. Every week I'm on the local radio sharing my top tips on exactly how to develop the mindset of the world's best, so you can accomplish all your dreams. Get ready for a jammed, packed episode focused on practical tips to help you get after your goals and step out of your comfort zone. Let's go. We check in with Sindra Kampoff. And Sindra, it's a Monday. Welcome to the show. We're excited that

you're here. It is a Monday. Thanks for having me. Yeah, we're going to talk a little bit about, I promoed this earlier, how to deal with your emotions during this time of uncertainty. I've heard a lot of people say, we're in the same boat, we're in the same boat. And that sounds great. And then I saw something where it's like, no, we're not all in the same boat. We might be in the same ocean. But we are not in the same boat. Some people are really worried about things. Some people are not so worried about things. Some people have anxiety, some don't. There's so many different ways to feel about this, that while we're all in the same situation, falling under the same umbrella, we're not all the same. So how do we deal with our own emotions during this time of uncertainty?

I like this topic. Yeah, I like it too. And it really came from this as I'm talking to people and listening to people and seeing how they're experiencing what's going on. And it really came from just as I'm talking to people and listening to people and seeing how they're experiencing what's going on. And last Friday, I launched a high performance mindset summit where I interviewed 20 experts on the topic of mindset and dealing with change and adversity. And it was like really cool, super great engagement and feedback. And really, there's this trend that we're going to talk about today, which is your emotions. And I think it made me realize during this time period that, you know, our mindset really is essential. It drives everything. It drives how we feel, the stress we feel, how we lead, how we parent, always, but especially during this time, it's more apparent than ever.

So, Cyndra, what is the common trend in the uh the interviews that you've been doing and what's kind of the theme of emotion can you expand on that a little bit yeah so many of the experts discussed dr susan david's work on what's called emotional agility and it means like our ability to experience our thoughts and emotions and events in a way that doesn't like drive us in a negative way and what's really interesting is her research shows that like one third of us judge our emotions or push them aside like we don't want to feel them. And I think especially during this time, it's important to remember that like emotions are not good or bad. And really all emotions that we feel are really valuable. So what's the best way to deal with our emotions during uncertainty and the change that we've experienced?

I think the first thing that's important is to label how you're feeling. This helps us better understand how we're feeling and really what led to it. And I think it's important to know that whatever you're feeling is okay because everyone is feeling what you're feeling, meaning there's a lot of people that are feeling the same way. And then second, it's really important to see our emotions as information and data. And what I mean by that, it just shows you what you really care about and what's important to you. You know, if you don't feel anything about it, it means you probably don't care much about it.

And so what Susan says, and I really, really like this idea, I've been using this a lot myself, is just these emotions are data not directed, meaning they're just information and data to help me explain and understand how I'm feeling. So once we kind of identify that data, what's the next step? I think the next step is really to just like see your emotions with a curious lens and be compassionate with yourself. But also know that you don't have to act on every emotion that you have. And I think just asking yourself, like, what is this emotion telling me? And another thing that I think is really helpful is just to kind of explain and maybe even say, like, I'm noticing I'm really sad right now. Instead of I am sad, like take yourself out of the equation. You are not your emotions. And I felt that really helpful is to say, hey, I noticed that I'm really sad right now.

Or I noticed that I'm really angry. Instead of I am angry or I am sad. And just knowing that I can choose how to act and show up despite how I feel is really empowering. So what is the benefit of kind of being able to feel your emotions and use them as data? So I think there's a couple of benefits. First, the research says this helps us relieve stress and become more innovative in times of change like this. But also, effective leaders, they don't suppress how they feel, right? And actually getting in tune with how they feel is important to business success.

And even mentally strong people, you know, they label their emotions. They know that they can act independent of how they feel, but they don't kind of repeat the same disempowering story in their mind. They don't create kind of the same old reruns of past experiences. They're really able to label how they feel and then move on. Sandra, how do you summarize today for us? Yeah, I'd say your mindset drives everything, how you feel, the stress you feel right now, how you lead right now. And so just remember that your emotions are valuable. They're not good or bad. And by labeling how you feel, that helps you understand that feeling, but just like a more curiosity. And just remember that your emotions are data, not directives, and you can act despite how you feel.

So we have a power phrase that we end all of our segments with. What's today's power phrase? I respond with purpose and intention. I use my emotions as data. Very good. Cinder, how do we get in touch with you if we want more information on this or maybe want to check out the book Beyond Grit? Yeah. You can head over to Dr. Sindra, so D-R-C-I-N-D-R-A.

And the summit is still going on. It's free. And so you can listen to these amazing interviews of, like, experts all over the world. And that's at highperformancemindsetsummit.com. And people can still register for that. It's free, correct? Yes, it's free. Yep. So you can just head over there. And we are on day four, and you get an email every day, which one to listen to and really phenomenal experts. Perfect. Thank you so much for all your knowledge today. Sandra, have a positive Monday. I will. You too. Way to go for finishing another episode of the high performance mindset.

I'm giving you a virtual fist pump. Holy cow. Did that go by way too fast for anyone else? If you want more, remember to subscribe and you can head over to Dr. Cinder for show notes and to join my exclusive community for high performers where you get access to videos about mindset each week. So again, you can head over to Dr. Sindhra. That's D-R-I-C-I-N-D-R-A.com. See you next week.