In this TED talk, psychologist Susan David introduces the concept of emotional agility: the ability to recognise and manage our thoughts and feelings for what they are, without judging them through the veil of preconceptions. Susan reminds us of the importance of detaching ourselves from our emotions so that they do not own us, but at the same time allowing ourselves to feel them. In fact, keeping emotions bottled up inside is one of the elements which can lead to depression in the longterm.

Being hooked to our emotions can cause distress and make us take irrational decisions. On the other hand, emotional agility can help people alleviate stress, reduce errors, tap into their creativity and improve their overall job performance.

If you wish to learn more about emotional agility I suggest reading the following article on the HBR or picking up a copy of Susan David’s book “Emotional Agility: Get Unstuck, embrace change and thrive in work and life.”

HBR article: https://hbr.org/2013/11/emotional-agility