Can You Improve the Way You Handle Your Emotions

Can You Improve the Way You Handle Your Emotions in Business and Management? 

A Story of Questions, Choices, and Change. Have you ever caught yourself saying, “I just don’t know what to do anymore”?

Maybe it’s in the middle of a stressful week at work, everyone needs your help and are screaming at you to do something. Maybe your inbox is full, your team’s waiting for answers, and your energy is running on empty. You want someone, anyone, to step in and tell you what to do next.

But have you ever stopped to ask yourself, what’s really happening in that moment?

Are you reacting or responding?

When Emotions Take the Wheel

Think about the last time you felt emotionally drained in business or life. Did you find yourself waiting for someone else to decide? Hoping for a sign?

That’s the reactive mindset.

It feels easier, doesn’t it? You hand over responsibility, someone else takes charge, and you get temporary relief from the pressure. But here’s the hidden cost: every time you do that, you give away a little bit of your control, your confidence, and your creativity.

So, what if you chose differently? What if you decided to be responsive instead?

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What’s the Right Question to Ask?

People often come to me and ask, “What should I be doing right now?”

It’s an understandable question, but it’s not the one that moves you forward. So I ask them a few in return:

What do you need right now?
What’s your biggest problem?
Where’s your deepest pain?
What do you feel the most urgency to change?

Notice what happens when you ask those questions of yourself. The panic starts to fade. The noise quiets. You begin to think again.

Responsiveness is a conversation, with yourself, your team, your clients. It invites creativity, collaboration, and clarity. Reaction, on the other hand, is isolation. It traps you inside your fear.

So ask yourself: Are you thinking or just reacting?

How Do You Know Which One You’re In?

Take a quick inventory of your business, or your mindset.

Are you having real conversations?
Are you reaching out to people?
Are you sharing your thoughts, your services, or your ideas with the world?

If not, you might be in reactive mode.

Reaction turns inward. Responsiveness turns outward.
Reaction says, “I can’t.”
Responsiveness says, “Let’s figure this out.”

Which one sounds more like you lately?

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The Small Step That Starts It All

Here’s a question that can shift everything:
👉 What do I know I need to do today?

It’s not about having the perfect plan or a twelve-step strategy. It’s about doing one thing that moves you forward, even just an inch.

Yes, it might feel repetitive. It might feel dull. But that’s where the real progress hides.

Because success doesn’t come from bursts of inspiration. It comes from doing the right small thing, day after day, even when it’s boring.

Consistency builds traction.
Traction builds momentum.
Momentum builds results.

So what’s your one thing today?

When Life Turns Upside Down

What happens when everything changes, the market shifts, a client cancels, or your routine gets disrupted?

You can freeze.
Or you can rally.

Every time you choose to respond instead of react, you strengthen your resilience. You remind yourself that while you can’t control the storm, you can control your steering.

But how do you stay calm when the familiar disappears?

A Lesson from the Water

When I bought my first boat, I thought I knew what I was doing. I’d take the same route every time, following the same landmarks, feeling confident and in control.

Then one evening, I stayed out too long. Night fell, and suddenly all my familiar markers vanished. The buoys I counted on were invisible. The landmarks disappeared into shadow.

I panicked.

I forgot everything I knew, because I was reacting instead of responding.

That moment taught me something profound: when your world goes dark, you can’t rely on old maps. You have to learn how to navigate differently. You have to trust your instincts, your training, and your ability to adjust.

That’s what responsiveness looks like in real life.

The Real Question

So, when your business feels uncertain, when your emotions are running high, when everything familiar seems to shift…

Will you hand over the wheel?
Or will you steady yourself, look around, and choose to respond?

Responsiveness doesn’t mean pretending everything’s fine, it means taking control of what you can do, even when the outcome isn’t clear.

You already have the skills. You already have the experience. The real challenge is to trust them.

Because at the end of the day, the world doesn’t reward reaction, it rewards responsiveness.

So ask yourself:

“Am I reacting to life, or responding to it?”

The answer will tell you everything about where you’re headed next.

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This is a principle Brian P. Swift teaches leadership Strategist and he is a Speaker. It is critical when you are
transforming Leaders and Their Organizations through Actionable Strategies.

Brian P. Swift is the President of Swift Outdoor Accessible Recreation which is a 501 C3 non
profit dedicated to providing accessible outdoor equipment and experiences for individuals with
physical disabilities. Our mission is to foster inclusion, hope, healing, connection, and
empowerment through nature-based activities, because we believe that the outdoors should be
accessible to everyone.

Click to learn more about SOAR, Swift Outdoor Accessible Recreation.