Actively work on regulating your own emotions to prevent inadvertently starting a downward spiral, as your negativity can be caught by others and then transmitted back to you, leading to more misery.
Recognize that you can initiate positive affective spirals, becoming the emotional change you want to see in the world and counteracting negative influences.
As a leader, regulate your feelings both internally and externally, and model productive emotions for your team, especially when people are panicking, as your mood is contagious and highly impacts group morale and performance.
Be conscious of your own moods, as they vary dramatically throughout the day and week, which helps you understand how you are affecting other people around you.
Understand that emotional contagion is a phenomenon where moods transmit automatically, making you more aware and better able to protect yourself against catching unwanted emotions from others.
Learn how techniques like laugh tracks and biased news feeds work to manipulate emotions, which can help you react more positively and feel less out of control when these forces are used against you.
Exercise agency by being more aware of how people you interact with online are affecting your emotions, and be mindful of what you yourself post, given the pervasive nature of emotional contagion through text.
When interacting with nervous individuals, such as in a job interview, slow your pace, look encouragingly, and change your tone to naturally calm them down, facilitating a clearer interaction.
Consciously adopt a happy facial expression, as research shows this behavior can unconsciously improve your mood by influencing how you feel.
Implement the advice from this podcast in your own life, as making these changes can act as a positive seed that transforms the well-being of those around you.