Competence model articles Effectively managing one‘s own emotions in training situations; respecting ethical boundaries vis-á-vis learners Recognises and reflects on their own emotions Relates the emotional process to the training situation Skill to identify one’s own emotions and relate them with a training situation Understanding and facilitating individual and group learning process

How to process your emotions

Emotional literacy is very important in any profession where you have to deal with people. The awareness of your own emotions and the emotions of others is a factor that can make you more professional and help you prevent mistakes and failures.

Donatas Petkauskas February 22, 2020

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How to process your emotions — Pexels.com

Why did I choose this tool?

Recognizing your own emotions is a professional challenge. It is easy to recognize your repeated behaviours: you notice yourself or your colleagues are feed-backing about it. But it is essential to take the next step and understand were these behaviours are coming from, what emotions are causing it and what issues are we suppressing with these routines.

How does this apply to being a trainer?

As a trainer you have to be aware of your behaviours in training situations while working and living with groups. You have to be able to understand your emotions or to know which emotions cause certain behaviours of yours. Not being able to deal with your emotions can lead to burnout, behaviours which could be characterized as not professional. Each trainer should have personal tools and strategies on how to prevent, control or deal with personal emotions.

Main content:

Watch a YouTube video on the recognition of emotions. The video is about the consequences of what happens if you don’t deal with emotions and situations in your personal and professional life. It also indicates symptoms of professional burnout and typical behaviours which people have while not dealing with difficult emotions.

Reflect which strategies you or your colleague trainer use to escape difficult emotions? Compare the YouTube video with your professional life. List them and analyse where these behaviours are coming from (what are the reasons for this behaviour).
What strategies highlighted in the video could be useful to deal with your emotions?
What a second YouTube video on how to master your emotions:

Which strategies from the video you could use as a trainer?

Reflection questions:

What are the most difficult emotional moments for you during the training situations?

How do you deal with emotionally difficult situations? What are your strategies and rituals?

How can you help your colleagues to deal with these situations?

Author of the article: Nerjus Miginis

In the last decade has contributed to youth work development in Lithuania by co-designing the youth worker certification system, running pilot youth worker trainings, making analysis of youth work implementation in Lithuania (2015). Nerijus has done work in the field of participation, community development and promotion of democracy for the Active Citizens program by the British Council in Lithuania, the CoE Committee of Regions in Ukraine, the Vestfold-Telemark county and NAV in Norway. For the last decade Nerijus is conducting training courses for educators on non-formal education, value education through sport in cooperation with the Lithuanian National Olympic committee (LTOK) and other Institutions. Nerijus is co-founder and expert at the Institute for Policy Research and Analysis in Lithuania. He as a master’s degree in Education Sciences from the University of Vilnius.

Editor: Donatas Petkauskas

is professional supervisor, coach and experiential learning trainer, having more than 15 years of experience in consulting various organizations and individuals, creating and conducting training course on national and international levels. Donatas has extensive experience in non-formal education, training of youth workers and trainers. He is working in the field of non-formal education since 2003, since 2004 he is a member of trainers pool of Lithuanian National Agency (currently an alumni).