On Emotional Contagion

What Is Emotional Contagion?

As a professional psychotherapist and one who has worked in the helping field for several years, emotional contagion is a serious issue for those in my profession.

Emotional contagion occurs when we take on the emotional expressions of others.

Human beings are social creatures that imitate those in their environment. Have you ever had a stranger look you in the eye and smile?

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Chances are you didn't scowl at that person.

You probably looked them in the eye and smiled back.

At that moment, you are both sharing a feeling, a feeling of cheerfulness or perhaps attraction.

As a professional in both counseling and coaching, sometimes I am working with people who are very sad or quite anxious.

I have to be careful not to imitate this feeling within myself.

It's very easy to do if you are working with several people who are all experiencing a powerful mood such as anxiety.

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In the helping professions, we discuss dealing with emotional contagion through self-care and setting healthy boundaries.

However, we all need to set boundaries in order to keep from taking on the emotions expressed by others.

This can be very difficult if you are an empathic person who enjoys helping others.

However, I stay mindful of potential emotional contagion constantly; through my resilience building tactics, I am able to limit this issue.

Unfortunately, many of my clients struggle with emotional contagion.

Many of them live or work in very toxic environments.

Over time, they absorb that toxicity and it begins to affect their emotions, motivation and ultimately their goals.

The great motivational speaker Jim Rohm stated: You're the average of the five people you spend the most time with.

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So ask yourself? What does my social environment look like?

Am I spending time with angry and unhappy people?

Perhaps they are full of envy and resentment towards you?

Unfortunately, this type of social environment will infect your mind when what you truly need is more people in your life who are loving and nurturing.

Easier said than done, right?

This can be difficult if you come from a highly dysfunctional family or are employed in a very toxic workplace.

Here are a few ideas to minimize emotional contagion.

3 Important Ways to Minimize Emotional Contagion

Mentors

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If you work in a toxic environment.

Try to locate someone who is senior to you who is positive and can provide some effective guidance at your worksite.

This mentor can go a long way in keeping the gossiping Negative Nancys in your office at bay.

Meditation

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Daily meditation will keep your amygdala in check (the portion of your brain that is easily stimulated to emotional reactivity).

Over time, you'll find yourself being more mindful of your decisions and how you react to situations in general.

There are some great apps that can help you get into a more calm and focused state of mind. Find one that works for you.

Resiliency

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Obviously, I'm very biased here since I preach about resiliency constantly.

I do this because I am very passionate about this subject and feel this is a great way for people to work through the toxicity of their environment and keep emotional contagion at bay.

Create a daily resiliency plan and work on it, contact me, if you need help or ideas.

Emotional contagion is a real issue for many people.

People are surrounded by negativity, especially in the current political environment here in the U.S.

Whether or not you allow it to affect you though is up to you.

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