How to prevent “random” bad moments influence productivity?

[dentisto]

Something happens and triggers a bad emotional state. It affects productivity, drive and basically a lot of if not everything that could have been easily achieved in the upcoming time period is now a struggle or just left undone.

It happens to me and everyone I know, to some extent. I'm in the low-tolerance part of the spectrum so I have to ask:

How do you handle moments when something bad happens that then affects everything that was coming?

Let's say you have an argument with your spouse or someone calls you and gives you some bad news.

Besides working on understanding and really engaging in properly managing emotional intelligence, do you have any tips and tricks that work for you? Such as counting backwards from 5 and the bad news is gone? :D

Thank you!

[PaulHoule]

Look at general measures to improve mental health and stress tolerance.

Soldiers in combat try to fit 1 to 2 hours of cardio into their busy days. Weight training is more important for general health, but intense exercise is the best medicine for stress tolerance.

If that sounds impossible, then start with some realistic like 1/2 hour, walking, biking to work, moving boxes, and work up from there.

Overreaction to small upsets is a symptom of depression and it is one that SNRI or SSRI drugs such as Vanlafaxine and Sertraline are effective for. Generics are very cheap even if you don't have health insurance, and your primary care practitioner is trained to prescribe them.

The above measures are intended to build up your base so you will be resilient without trying. Spare time activities in the areas of pets (e.s.p. raising chickens), religion, volunteer activity are also helpful.

I was a long time practitioner of

https://www.amazon.com/Handbook-Higher-Consciousness-Ken-Key...

a self-help approach aimed at training the mind while in action. Today I think that repeating mantras and phrases fills up my mind with more junk and makes managing harder. If I repeat a mantra I won't repeat it quickly but will try to repeat it at the moment a distraction comes in.

[cerberusss]

What helps me, is to talk it over with myself. So if something bad happens, I take a moment to calm down, feel whatever needs to be felt, and talk it through.

Between genitals-in-a-vice and world peace, where is the event on the scale? Will it matter in a week? A month? Should I do something about it, or may it solve itself? That kind of stuff.

If it's bad enough, I know for a fact that it'll influence the coming period, and that must be accepted. I'll take an extra day off, or work less hard, go to bed early, or do whatever to regain mental strength.

I just looked it up by the way, and there's quite a bit of documentation on it: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Psychological_resilience