How to deal with someone who is emotional and over-reactive

How To Deal With A Person Who Is…

EMOTIONAL | OVER-REACTIVE 

With every personality type, you have to take the good with the bad. The Emotional-Over-reactive person has a lot of positive qualities.

DISC WizardThe Emotional person is usually people-oriented and outgoing. When they’re happy – they’re very happy.  As a matter of fact, they tend to wear their heart on their sleeves. This is how you know your dealing with a High Emotional type…because you will know every emotion they are feeling. You can see it on their face.

Here are some characteristics of a highly Emotional person:

  • Optimistic
  • Talkative
  • Confident
  • Persuasive
  • Unrealistic
  • Often running late
  • Lacks attention to detail
  • Sense of humor, fun

Research shows that 32% of the population is Emotional. Of course there are some types of professions (sales) and business areas (HR, management) where the percentage may be higher. Regardless, this means that 68% of the population is more non-Emotional and may have challenges communicating with this personality type.

Let’s look at some of those challenges. Because High Emotional people…well…emote, you usually know what they are thinking and how they feel about you.  It is hard for them to hide what they feel. This can be a good thing… until they are unhappy. Then you will hear about it and have to deal with it.

Dealing with emotions is very difficult for non-emotional types. They usually want to apply logic to the situation.

**WARNING** It is safe to say that you should never try to deal with emotion in a cool, logical, detached manner.  It usually just infuriates the already emotional person.

It also doesn’t do any good to jump into problem solving mode. Although this is where many people feel they can help the situation, the emotional person just isn’t ready yet. So what can you do instead?

Specific Tips for Communicating with the Emotional Person

  • Listen. As simple as this sounds, it isn’t easy. But sometimes all the Emotional person needs to do when they’re upset is vent and feel like they’ve been heard.
  • Don’t become dogmatic or patronizing. The Emotional person prefers a democratic relationship to help them solve problems. Be their friend, not their parent. (Unless you are their parent – then you’d better be one – but still try to understand!)
  • Empathize. If you can relate to their situation, say so. This will help them feel that they are not alone in the world.
  • Ask them what they want you to do. Putting them back into problem-solving mode may help them readjust their thinking. If they can’t come up with anything, then you know your job is to just listen.

#1 Mistake Most People Make When Communicating with an Emotional Person

Probably the worst thing to do with an Emotional person is to address their behavior in public or worse, in front of a group of people they know.  They are very sensitive to criticism – and want to look good – so to be reprimanded in front of others is especially humiliating for them.  Whenever you have to address their behavior, do it in private.  If they start to get emotional in a group, permit them to excuse themselves so they can regain their composure.

BE EMPATHETIC AND LISTEN!

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