In this episode of The WorkWell Podcast™, Jen Fisher and special co-host Dr. Joe Grasso from Lyra Health speak with Dr. Marc Brackett, founding director of the Yale Center for Emotional Intelligence and Professor in the Child Study Center at Yale School of Medicine. Dr. Brackett's bestselling book "Permission to Feel" has revolutionized how we think about emotions in schools and workplaces, and his new book "Dealing With Feeling" challenges us to stop running from our emotional lives and start actually living them.

Episode Highlights:

• Why there's no such thing as a "bad emotion" and how all feelings are simply data
• The difference between being an "emotion scientist" versus an "emotion judge"
• How toxic masculinity teaches men to disconnect from their emotions, perpetuating cycles of loneliness and isolation
• Why "being emotional" doesn't mean you're weak—it means you're human
• The Meta Moment: A four-step process for healthy emotion regulation in high-pressure situations
• How to have difficult conversations at work without avoiding or attacking
• Why bringing your whole self to work includes bringing your emotions
• Practical strategies for managers to create emotionally intelligent team cultures
• The importance of checking in with your emotions before they leak into unrelated situations

Quotable Moments:

"Emotional intelligence... is not emotional reactivity. Emotions are on a continuum. There's a little bit of anger, which is annoyance, and there's a lot of anger, which is enraged." - Dr. Marc Brackett

"Just because you're feeling strong emotions doesn't mean you're not capable. Doesn't mean you're not strong. Life is about emotions." - Dr. Marc Brackett

Resources:

Free app: "How We Feel" (available on iOS and Android) - A mood tracking tool developed by Dr. Brackett to help build emotional vocabulary

This episode of The WorkWell Podcast™ is made possible by Lyra Health, a premier global workforce mental health solution. Learn more at Lyrahealth.com/workwell.