Police College rolled out in 2012-13 four pilot workshops on Emotional Fitness and a collaborative research on training effectiveness with an Honorary College Advisor, Prof Winton Au of the Chinese University of Hong Kong.  The research findings released in late 2013 were encouraging and most participants found the training useful. Police College will offer more training on Emotional Fitness, including train-the-trainer workshops, Training Day packages and workshops for senior management, starting in the latter half of this year.

 

Two workshop participants shared their experience in the last issue on positive thinking. In this issue, two other participants tell how they managed negative emotions and developed positive emotions.

 

One day when an officer took over a very complicated case, he told himself: "What bad luck!"  Shortly afterwards, negative emotions set in.  When he realised that he was required to handle many other jobs on top of the case, his negative emotions reached a height. Fortunately the four rules for managing negative emotions he learned at the "Emotional Fitness" workshop worked and soon he got over his negative emotions.

 

Following Rule 4, "weighing gains and losses", he discovered that if he failed to control his emotions, he would not be able to get his job done.  So he calmed down before taking up the case. He then followed Rule 2, "finding out the underlying causes" and tried to look at the case from another point of view.  He felt relaxed after thinking positively that investigating a complicated case could be a challenge.

 

Everyone may get stuck in negative emotions.  To reduce the negative impact, we must learn some techniques to help us stop ruminating and try to look at issues from various perspectives.

 

Another participant said she was very upset by family problems last year.  She tried in vain to cheer herself up and enjoy life. Actually, she understood all the theories but simply felt depressed when she woke up.  At the workshop, she was impressed by the theory of "black beans and white beans" but at the beginning this theory could hardly help her get rid of her negative emotions.  One day, she shared the theory with a friend who found the theory useful. Gradually "finding white beans" became their magic words.  "Finding white beans" reminds us not to focus on bad things and should pay more attention to good people and good deeds instead.

 

"Living in the present moment" is another concept that has impressed this participant.  Actually she was aware of this before but found it hard "to live in the present moment" because "everything seemed to be going wrong". At the workshop, she learned about "living in the present moment" again and was impressed with the speaker's explanation.  One day when her friend who had advised her to "live in the present moment" felt frustrated at work, she asked: "Isn't it your favourite posting?  It's a tough job but you like it."  She then encouraged her friend to "live in the present moment".

 

"Living in the present moment" reminds us not to worry about the future or regret things of the past and encourages us to enjoy the happiness of the moment.  In fact, good people and good deeds, such as a big lunch or simply some caring words, might help us develop positive emotions.