This is the day to …

get control of your emotions

The source for this material and for our 25-Day CT Challenge is…

25 Days to Better Thinking and Better Living: A Guide for Improving Every Aspect of Your Life, by Dr. Linda Elder & Dr. Richard Paul, Pearson, 2006; and the Center and Foundation for Critical Thinking, CA.

Check out your emotions today…

Look on the surface – emotions of which you are awareLook beneath the surface – emotions you want to deny you feelLook closely at the role of emotions in your life

(Drs. Elder and Paul, in 25 Days to Better Thinking…, Ibid.)

Check out emotions of others…

Notice how people often justify their own negative emotions.Notice how often they object to the negative emotions of others.Notice how we tend to invalidate the emotions of those we consider beneath us.Notice how we tend to negate the emotions of those whose views we do not share.

(Elder and Paul, Ibid.)

“Two sides of the same coin”

Drs. Elder and Paul suggest that “People are often confused about the role of emotions in life.”(Ibid)

Placing people in two categories…

Thinkers

Feelers

Is a conceptual mistake

All of us think

All of us experience emotions

Throughout the day, every day

Thinking vs Feeling: consider the implications…

or, consider this statement: “The problem in our relationship is that you are a thinker and I feel things; I am an emotional person.”

(Implication: and you have no emotions, and I don’t think…? )

thinking…feeling

Feeling happens in the mind as a result of how we think in any given situation.

(Elder and Paul)

(Drs. Elder and

Paul, Ibid.)

“If you find yourself feeling negative emotion, stop and ask yourself ‘Why?’ What thoughts are you having that

cause this feeling?

“Resolve to attack unproductive thinking with productive thinking—leading to productive feelings.”

(Ibid)

Positive emotions…

Feelings and emotions are an important part of your life--and of her life, of his life, of their lives.

Feelings can be positive or negative. They can be justified or unjustified. You can use your emotions effectively or ineffectively.

Take control of your emotions…

The purpose, then, of taking control of your emotions is to accent the positive, the justified, the effective emotions…leading to a better, more positive life.

“Feelings can usefully influence and drive thought.” (Drs. Elder and Paul)

e.g., “…if you are angry about something you think is unjust, your anger can drive you to think about what you can do to eliminate the injustice.”

(Ibid)

“If you don’t experience many negative emotions,…it may be that you are living a predominantly rational life, and therefore you experience the positive emotions that come with reasonable, unselfish living.”

(Ibid)

Or…

…or

“It may be that you can get what you want without regard for the rights and needs of others. For example, the successful dominator primarily feels positive emotions, (see Day 15, ‘Don’t Be a Top Dog).”

(Ibid)

“It is up to you to determine the truth about your emotional life.”

(Drs. Elder and Paul, in 25 Days to Better Thinking &…)

Strategies to get control of your emotions: (from Drs. Elder and Paul)

1. Begin to notice the emotions you regularly experience—is there a pattern? What thinking is leading to this emotion?

2. See if you can identify some irrational thinking underlying the emotion. If so, attack that thinking with better, more sensible thinking. Once you act on the new thinking, your emotion should begin to shift accordingly.

…more strategies from our authors3. If you experience negative emotions frequently in your life,

look closely at what is causing these emotions. Is it you? Is it irrational thinking? Is it a dysfunctional relationship? Is it your job?

4. Until you directly face the root of the negative emotions, and do something to change the situation—or to change your thinking, and thus your feelings about the situation [a new paradigm, if you will]—the negative emotions will keep coming back.

5. Attack your mind with thinking that leads to productive behavior and positive emotions.

…and most importantly, focus6. Focus more concretely on your emotions; write

about them; keep a daily journal that targets the negative emotions you experience. Look for patterns. (Ibid.)

Instead of the “Daily Reflection Notes” format, you may want to print the next slide (print “current slide” only) for today’s challenge…

(or print both)

TARGETING EMOTIONS

One negative emotion I feel is…

The reason I feel this negative emotion is…

The thinking (or situation) I need to change in order not to feel this negative emotion is…

A more productive way to think is, “If I change the way I think, my feelings should change in the following ways…”

This is the day to get control of your emotions

Daily Reflection Notes

Print the following slide, one copy for each day of this week, (remember to use “print current slide”).

Reflecting and making some notes on your thoughts and experiences of the day help to internalize this “challenge,” as you know.

DAILY REFLECTION NOTES

Today I was successful in using the following ideas/strategies:

The key insights that emerged for me today were:

One problem in my thinking that I now realize is:

I plan to continue working on this problem using the following strategy: