Emotions at workEmotions at work
All In The Mind
Australians seem to be working harder than ever, highlighting an increased need to manage stress and establish a better balance between work and family life. This week we hear about some learnable techniques that might help people be more self-aware at work, allowing them to use their emotions as a positive force.
30:13•1 Jul 2006
Emotions at Work: How Thinking Styles Shape Stress, Resilience and Job Satisfaction
Episode Overview
- Job satisfaction improves when roles are aligned with a person’s real strengths, not just their technical talents.
- Emotional intelligence training helps people notice low-level thoughts, shift pessimistic patterns and change their emotional responses.
- Tools like the ABC model and the reality chart reduce perfectionism and catastrophising by challenging rigid, unrealistic beliefs.
- Accepting failure as part of learning encourages people to take on challenges instead of avoiding difficult tasks or conversations.
- Resilience can be strengthened through skills such as regulating emotion, realistic optimism, problem-solving and reaching out to others.
“"You can't leave your emotions at home, as the advice used to be."”
What are the common struggles and victories in addiction recovery? While this conversation isn’t about alcohol directly, it speaks to something anyone in recovery will recognise: emotions that feel out of control, especially at work. Using a cringeworthy scene from *The Office* as a starting point, the show looks at how clumsy communication and poorly handled feelings can spill far beyond office walls.
Positive psychologist Dr Martin Seligman argues that workplaces often hire for IQ and technical skills, yet "what produces job satisfaction is matching your strengths" rather than just your talents. Consultant Peter Sullivan explains how emotional intelligence training can shift unhelpful thinking patterns that feed stress, anxiety and avoidance. He breaks down how thoughts drive feelings, and feelings drive behaviour, reminding people that "you can't leave your emotions at home".
Instead of trying to be emotionless, staff learn tools like the ABC model to catch catastrophic self-talk, challenge beliefs such as "I must do this perfectly", and replace them with more realistic, kinder thinking. Manager Roxanne Walker describes how teams were given rare permission to talk openly about fear, pressure and self-doubt, and how phrases like "I think you need to do an ABC on that" became normal in meetings.
Sales leader Adrian Brennan recalls team members saying, "this has changed my life", as they applied the skills to work, marriage break-ups and family illness. Psychologist Andrew Chate outlines seven characteristics of resilience, including regulating emotion, realistic optimism, problem-solving and a willingness to reach out. He argues that once people understand their thinking style and test it against reality, they can handle rapid change with less distress and more flexibility.
If you’ve ever felt like work stress is wrecking your mood or nudging you towards old coping habits, this conversation might get you asking: what are you telling yourself, and is it actually true?
Do you want to link to this podcast?
Get the buttons here!
More From This Show
The latest episodes from the same podcast.