About this session
Workplace emotions can move quickly. Frustration, disappointment, anxiety, defensiveness or excitement can all influence what people say, avoid, prioritize and decide. The problem is not having emotions; it is when the first emotional reaction becomes the only available response.
This session helps participants build greater emotional agility: the ability to notice what is happening internally without immediately obeying it, suppressing it or turning it into a fixed story about themselves or other people.
Participants learn to name emotions more accurately, separate feelings from facts and create enough distance to choose what happens next.
The final part focuses on action. Participants practice responding in ways that fit the demands of the situation and the kind of person or colleague they want to be, even when emotions are difficult.
The aim is not emotional control in the sense of never feeling strongly. It is greater flexibility, choice and recovery when emotions are present.
What your people take away
- Recognize emotions earlier before they begin driving behavior automatically
- Separate emotional experience from facts, assumptions and identity
- Create space between feeling something and acting on it
- Choose responses that fit the situation and the outcome you want
- Build practical habits for recovering more quickly after emotionally difficult moments
Shared with you
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- What each length covers, 30 minutes to full day
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What each length covers
30 minutes
30 Minutes — Key Points: Notice What Is HappeningA focused 30-minute session on three key points from Notice What Is Happening: name the emotion more precisely, notice what happens in your body and map the trigger and the reaction.
- Name the emotion more precisely
- Notice what happens in your body
- Map the trigger and the reaction
Covers 3 of 4 points in Notice What Is Happening.
60 minutes
60 Minutes — Module 1: Notice What Is HappeningParticipants identify how emotions show up in their thoughts, body and behavior at work, learn to name what they are feeling more accurately and choose one recurring emotional trigger to work with.
- Module 1: Notice What Is Happening
- Live Q&A
Covers 1 of 4 parts: Notice What Is Happening.
90 minutes
90 Minutes — Modules 1 and 2: Create Space Around the EmotionEverything in the 60-minute session, plus practical work on separating feelings from facts, stepping back from automatic stories and reducing the urge to react immediately. Participants practice creating enough space for a more deliberate response.
- Module 1: Notice What Is Happening
- Module 2: Create Space Around the Emotion
- 7-day emotional agility experiment
- Live Q&A
Covers 2 of 4 parts: Notice What Is Happening and Create Space Around the Emotion.
3 hours
Covers 3 of 4 parts: Notice What Is Happening, Create Space Around the Emotion and Choose the Response That Fits.
Full day
Full Day — Full Emotional Agility WorkshopFull coverage of all four modules with emotional-awareness exercises, defusion and perspective work, response practice and individual action planning. Participants leave with a practical 30-day emotional agility plan for real workplace situations.
- Module 1: Notice What Is Happening
- Module 2: Create Space Around the Emotion
- Module 3: Choose the Response That Fits
- Module 4: Build Emotional Flexibility Over Time
- Workplace emotional trigger scenarios
- 30-day personal emotional agility plan
- Live Q&A
Covers all 4 parts.
Also available as a 4-week or 8-week program, for change that lasts. Ask us about it.
What’s covered
Notice What Is Happening
Every length- Name the emotion more preciselyParticipants move beyond broad labels such as 'stressed' or 'bad' and identify whether they are frustrated, disappointed, anxious, embarrassed, resentful, overwhelmed or something else.
- Notice what happens in your bodyParticipants identify physical signs that emotion is rising, such as tension, faster speech, shallow breathing, restlessness or a tight jaw.
- Map the trigger and the reactionParticipants choose a recurring workplace trigger and map what tends to happen next in thought, emotion and behavior.
- Let the emotion be informationParticipants practice treating emotion as data rather than a command.
Create Space Around the Emotion
90 minutes and longer- Separate feeling from factParticipants practice distinguishing 'I feel excluded' from the observable event that led to that feeling.
- Notice the story your mind is addingParticipants identify the interpretations that quickly attach themselves to emotion, such as 'they do not respect me' or 'this always happens.' They practice seeing those statements as thoughts rather than automatically treating them as established facts.
- Use language that creates distanceParticipants test simple phrasing such as 'I'm noticing the thought that...' or 'Part of me is reacting as though...' to create a little distance from the first interpretation.
- Pause without avoidingParticipants practice creating temporary space through breathing, movement, delaying a non-urgent response or taking time to think.
Choose the Response That Fits
3 hours and longer- Ask what outcome you actually wantParticipants identify what they want to protect or achieve before responding, such as clarity, trust, fairness, progress or a workable decision.
- Choose actions that match your valuesParticipants identify qualities they want to bring to difficult situations, such as honesty, courage, respect, curiosity or fairness.
- Match the response to the real problemParticipants distinguish situations requiring clarification, a boundary, a direct conversation, a practical decision, recovery or simply more time.
- Allow discomfort without making it the enemyParticipants practice taking useful action even when discomfort has not disappeared.
Build Emotional Flexibility Over Time
Full day only- Review the pattern without judging yourselfParticipants review emotionally difficult moments by asking what triggered them, what they did, what helped and what they would change next time.
- Build a short recovery routineParticipants identify what helps them reset after an emotionally demanding interaction, such as movement, quiet, writing down the next action or speaking with someone appropriate.
- Pre-plan recurring triggersParticipants identify two or three situations that reliably trigger strong emotion and decide in advance how they want to respond.
- Know when the environment needs to changeParticipants identify emotional strain being driven by chronic conflict, excessive workload, poor management, harassment or unsafe conditions.
How booking works
- Book online. Create a free Workbliss profile, then pay with session credits, by card or by invoice.
- Pick a date. Choose a date at least 14 days ahead, or book now and set the date later.
- Choose your expert. Within 3 working days, we send you profiles of the experts available for your date.
- We deliver it. Your expert is briefed on your people and goals, then runs the session live online or at your site.
Questions about Emotional Agility in the Workplace
How long is Emotional Agility in the Workplace?
Emotional Agility in the Workplace runs as 30 minutes, 60 minutes, 90 minutes, 3 hours or full day. You choose the length when you book. A 30-minute session covers three key points from Notice What Is Happening: name the emotion more precisely, notice what happens in your body and map the trigger and the reaction. A 60-minute session covers Notice What Is Happening in full, with a live Q&A. A 90-minute session adds Create Space Around the Emotion. A 3-hour session adds Choose the Response That Fits. A full-day session adds Build Emotional Flexibility Over Time. It is also available as a 4-week or 8-week program.
Can Emotional Agility in the Workplace be delivered online or in person?
Yes, both. It runs live online, so every office can join at the same time, or in person at your site, in any country.
How do we book Emotional Agility in the Workplace?
Create a free Workbliss profile with your work email, then open Emotional Agility in the Workplace to see the price for each length and book it. You can pay with session credits, by card or by invoice, and choose a date at least 14 days ahead, or set it later.
Who leads the session?
A vetted Workbliss expert, briefed on your people, culture and goals before the session. After you book, we send you profiles of the experts available for your date within 3 working days, so you can choose who leads it.
Can it be tailored to our company?
Yes. Every session is shaped around your goals, your people and the benefits you already offer, and delivered by experts in your people’s languages.