An emotional component is vital for our wellbeing and personal fulfilment, but feeling anxiety, stress or fear can ruin even the best experiences. We now know that the daily and life choices we make, from what food we eat, to whom we choose to date, or what jobs we take are largely affected by our emotions – no matter how rational we think we are.

Emotions carry valuable information about our internal and external environment. And yet emotions are a topic we very rarely discuss or have much understanding of. The positive psychology movement has backfired in this area by teaching us to suppress unpleasant emotions and pump ourselves up with positive thoughts. Unfortunately, ‘positive thinking’ makes us even less aware of our true feelings about the events, with the result that we often make bad decisions, lose true happiness, and even become depressed.

In this talk, Dr Gabija Toleikyte will explain the real nature and importance of emotions, what happens in the brain when you experience them and how to let them guide you into making the best choices for you. Moreover, you will learn why we make very poor judgements under intense emotional states such as stress and anxiety, and how best to deal with these situations.

In this talk, you will learn:

Why do we have emotions?

Where in the brain are emotions created?

Why do strong emotions influence the way we think?

How can you best understand your emotions?

Why are emotions important in our decision making?

Practical tips on how to best manage emotions we don’t like.

Dr Gabija Toleikyte is a neuroscientist and business coach. She completed her PhD at the University College London on the neuronal basis of memory and navigation. During her PhD, Gabija acquired a business coach qualification and worked as an internal coach at UCL for senior academics and administrative staff.

Combining coaching experience with neuroscience insights allows Gabija to develop unique seminars, where solid neuroscience research is presented in the context of the topics relevant for individuals and organisations.

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