There I was, happy and enjoying my day, when suddenly I had an interaction with an angry person that completely derailed my good mood.

Can you relate?

How does this other person have so much power over my mood? It’s called emotional contagion.

People much more intelligent than me have done research that proves emotions are contagious due in part to “mirror neurons” in our cerebral cortex. 

They’ve also discovered that negative emotions are MORE contagious than positive emotions!

Check out this TEDx talk where Brandon Smith talks about emotional contagion in the workplace.

We all have bad days and deal with challenges that evoke negative emotions. However, by being aware of the impact of our emotions on others, we have an opportunity to make a choice.

Here’s a technique I use to help me avoid spreading negative emotions when I’m having a bad day.

Recognize

Recognize when you have negative emotions. Perhaps you’ve been triggered by someone else’s behavior like I was. Or maybe you’re tired, hungry, stressed, or not feeling well. It doesn’t matter what the reason is for your emotional state; work to tune in to yourself to understand how you are feeling.    

Recalibrate

Find a way to recalibrate and lift your emotions into a more positive state. You could try taking a walk, listening to music, calling a friend, writing in a gratitude journal, or anything that works for you. I subscribe to a 1-minute laughter yoga channel with Christine Smith, and it does wonders to help me recalibrate!

Respond

Choose your response and behavior to spread POSITIVE emotions. If you’re interacting with a negative person, smile and look beyond their behavior to empathize with the human being. There is likely something deeper going on with them at the root of their behavior. Be nice. Be patient. Be positive.

Nobody is perfect, and there will be days when you unintentionally infect others with negative emotions. Let’s all try a little harder to be a source of positivity.

Wishing you the best!