From the course: Bystander Training: From Bystander to Upstander

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Deescalating an emotionally charged situation

Deescalating an emotionally charged situation

From the course: Bystander Training: From Bystander to Upstander

Deescalating an emotionally charged situation

- Generally, we've been conditioned to believe that emotions are not acceptable at work and vulnerability, crying, or anxiety, those emotions society considers feminine, are even less acceptable than those society considers masculine, like anger or frustration. In life outside of work, we've also been conditioned to believe certain emotions are bad. Anxiety, loneliness, and anger have a negative connotation. People who show those emotions are labeled as having some sort of internal defect. Bottom line is we have a funny relationship with emotions, but to deescalate them, we need to get more comfortable with them. All emotions are acceptable, but not all reactions to those emotions are okay. Anger is okay, but punching a wall in reaction to anger is not. One way to get comfortable with emotions is to look and listen intently for the emotions being shared in any conversation you have now with peers, friends, and…

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