This week’s exercise, inspired by world famous restaurateur Danny Meyer’s take on self-awareness, is about using your personal weather report to prevent the spread of the emotional flu.
Has another person's mood ever infected your emotional state?
This phenomenon, called emotional contagion, occurs when one person's emotions trigger a similar response in others.
Introducing your personal weather report exercise.
What It Is
A way to check yourself by checking in with yourself.
Why We Love It Our moods have a great deal of influence on how we perceive the world and how others perceive us. By doing a personal weather report, you'll uncover how your mood and the emotional state of others has a direct effect on your daily experience.
How It Works
When you wake up tomorrow morning, write down your personal weather report. Are you feeling warm and sunny? Arid and dry? Cool and cloudy?
Then, note if your mood shifts over the course of the day. When it shifts, what are you doing? Who are you with? Was the shift a positive or negative one?
In the evening, compare your morning weather report against any mood shifts that occurred throughout your day. Consider the role you and those around you played in shifting the mood. Is there anything you would do differently tomorrow to manage your emotional state?
