Until fairly recently only a few people in my class were able to understand their emotional spin cycle. This whole Fall semester our class 409bf have been working on customizing our emotional spin cycle. You are probably asking yourself right about now, what is so important about daily emotional spin cycle. According to Dr. Leon James, our professor says, it is how individuals function in accordance with social norms. To be socialized means to acquire particular habits in the three areas of human functioning:

Habits of feeling (Affective Domain of Behavior)

Habits of thinking (Cognitive Domain of Behavior)

Habits of acting (Sensori-Motor Domain of Behavior)

These habits shape our interactions of the self and is defined and described by what we feel in our bodies both physically and emotionally. Although these habits move freely within our body and mind, we are able to control them with self-awareness, self-control, competency, motivation, and social skills. They are not as easy as it sounds but with observation and strict record keeping only then can the modification begin.

You are probably wondering by now, what does emotional spin cycle has anything to do with society? It is a new phenomenon in our society, that is a departure from “traditional attitude” still prevalent in our workplace and schools. According to Goleman (1995) successful people already knew: being smart isn't just a matter of mastering facts; it's a matter of mastering your own emotions and understanding the emotions of the people around you. If people were more aware of their emotional spin cycle —just maybe, there would not be so much violence and hostile in the world. Daniel Goleman, the author of Working with Emotional Intelligence tells us being totally away of our emotional spin cycle will put us ahead of the game and it is our blue print to thrive and be successful in our global economy.

How does this explain what’s happening with our emotional spin cycle? We are constantly developing, measuring and managing to some degree our own emotional aptitude for future success or failure. What can you expect from the future? Employees will learn about their own emotional spin cycle and how they it affects their job performance. Business consultants can better help companies select, place, develop, train, promote, and outplace employees. Friends can learn how to effectively relate to a wide variety of people. On a personal base couples will have a better understanding of their partner. What should be done about it? First of all, everyone should take this class with Dr. Leon James, and gain a better understanding of their habits of thinking, feeling and doing and how these habits affect our emotional spin cycle. If this is not possible, then read books on raising your emotional intelligence. More so become aware of those emotions and begin to modify it.

Information Gathering of Emotion

This emotional spin cycle class has been a semester long project. Throughout the semester we have been learning about our emotional intelligence and how it affects the society we live in and the people we come into contact with on a daily basis. The purpose of this project is to give students in 409bf the opportunity to learn how to get a hold of their emotional spin cycle by acknowledging, witnessing and modifying, the three step method.

Step 1: I ACKNOWLEDGE that I need to gain better control over my negative spin cycle.

Step 2: I WITNESS my threefold self in the negative spin cycle settings through objective self-monitoring or self-observation methods of data collection.

Step 3: I MODIFY my spin cycle in one selected area, and then I start again with another area.

For two weeks I will be sampling one intense feeling 3 times a day and self witnessing these feelings by describing, thinking and doing it.

Self-Witnessing, what is it? Self-Witnessing is an act of being aware if you or someone else is raging. In this case the twenty one reports of self-witnessing that I will be talking about, is of my own self-witnessing. According to Dr. Leon James “Your self-witnessing begins the process of building your own inventory of your feelings, thoughts, and actions on a daily emotional spin cycle.”

How to decide on what to report?

At first I did not know what to report on, I did not know if I wanted to do it on myself or on others. After attending our last class before Veterans Day break. I came to a decision of reporting it on my driving habits, and communication with others.

What methods did I use?

I decided that I would use a tape recorder every time I would set foot in my vehicle. In this way I would not have to pull on the side to write it down every time I experience an episode of rage and having others witness me in a rage episode. In addition to using a tape recorder, I would use a sampling technique design by Dr. Leon James, where you focus in on one intense feeling and relating it to the different zones as well as thinking and doing.

Zone 1 (negative red) = Feeling rage-anger (setting 1) coupled with impaired thinking (2) lead to aggressive behavior (3)

Zone 2 (negative blue) = Feeling depression (setting 4) coupled with pessimistic thinking (5) lead to self-destructive behavior (6).

Zone 3 (positive blue) = Feeling self-mastery and self-satisfaction (setting 7) coupled with optimistic thinking (8) lead to self-enhancing behavior (9).

Zone 4 (positive red) = Feeling resolve or zeal or compassion (setting 10) coupled with emotionally intelligent thinking (11) lead to supportive and constructive behavior (12).

Global Rating

In addition to the three descriptions mentioned above regarding feeling, thinking, and doing, you need to collect Global Ratings once at the end of each day:

_____ 1) What was my strongest stress point today: (1=very weak; 10=extreme)

_____ 2) What was my strongest level of satisfaction with myself today: (1=very weak; 10=extreme)

_____ 3) What was my best level of effectiveness or productivity today: (1=very weak; 10=extreme)

_____ 4) What was my best level of coping successfully with my feelings today: (1=very ineffectual; 10=extremely effective)

_____ 5) What is your current level of hope for the future: (1=little hope or brightness; 10=extremely hopeful and bright)

_____ 6) What was the worst level of negativity or selfishness of some other people around you (1=almost no negativity or selfishness observed; 10=extremely strong negative or selfish behavior observed)

By collecting these 6 numbers at the end of each day you will be able to use a global assessment comparison between week 1 and week 2. (Note: one per day is the minimum required, but you get extra points for doing more since this may be more accurate.)

Case One

Acknowledgment

Morning

On Wednesday, November 22, 2001 at 5:30 a.m. I woke up and began getting dressed for school and work. Around 6:15 a.m. I always wake up my daughter and finish getting ready for the day. Just when I was about to enter the bathroom my roommate (Greg) ran into the bathroom and started to run the bathwater and shut the door on my face. At this point I could feel myself going from the positive blue zone to the negative red zone.

Witness

At this point I could feel the pressure rising from my toes to the top of my head. I could feel my muscles tingling and my back tensing up and my hands turning into a fist, with my face muscles protruding every which way and straining to remain calm as my daughter hugs me. I found myself using fowl language under and on top of my breath. In addition to pacing up and down in my room, throwing my hands in the sky, saying, “ What the heck is wrong with you”.

Modify

After realizing I am in my morning rage, I found myself pounding on my bed as I finish getting dress. I kept interrupting my thoughts of rage by concentrating on preparing for the long trip to Moanalua High School, then up to University of Hawaii at Manoa. However, every time I passed the bathroom I could feel a tinge of negative red zone entering my thoughts. By 7:00 a.m. I was already in the negative blue zone, thinking of ways to get a better handle on the bathroom situation, so we will not be late for school.

Afternoon

Acknowledgement

At 1:30p.m. I was waiting for my husband to pick me up from school. I happen to glance at my watch and notice the time was 1:45pm and realize 15 minutes had passed and still my ride was not there to pick me up. I could feel another rage episode ready to begin.

Witness

At this point I could feel my emotions within seconds leave the positive blue zone into the negative red zone. I found myself biting my lips and clenching my teeth together. I notice that I kept pacing up and down on the sidewalk, and could feel the pressure of anger building up in my head. My neck and upper shoulder were getting tense as I wondered what could keep him from picking me up on time. I found myself talking to myself about how late he was. I notice my face had a weird look on it as he drove up and I got into the vehicle.

Modifying

At this point I did not feel like modifying my behavior to be back in the positive blue zone, I just wanted to stay in the negative red zone and be angry with him. However, this was not the case after he apologizes for being late. I could feel my anger leaving from the negative red zone to positive red zone, as he tried to explain the reason he was late.

Night

Acknowledgement

It is about 7:00p.m. and I just got home from work and have an hour and before our flight leaves for the outer islands. I walk into our family room to find the kids playing and not ready for the long weekend. I ask them if they are pack for the long weekend? They all start running up the staircase and start throwing things together and leaving everything in a mess. I start to feel a rage episode coming on.

Witness

At this point I hit the negative red zone within seconds. I felt like lashing out and use corporal punishment on them. I could feel every nerve and muscle in my body tense to the fullest brink of lashing out on them. I also notice I kept screaming at the top of my lungs with obscenity words towards them and my anger building up inside.

Modifying

I could not see myself modifying my actions at this point. My children knew this was not funny when my mood changes from positive blue zone to negative red zone, within a few seconds. I did not reach a modification point on this night, or maybe I just went from negative red zone to negative blue zone.

Global Ratings

__10___ 1) What was my strongest stress point today: (1=very weak; 10=extreme)

__5___ 2) What was my strongest level of satisfaction with myself today: (1=very weak; 10=extreme)

__6___ 3) What was my best level of effectiveness or productivity today: (1=very weak; 10=extreme)

__5___ 4) What was my best level of coping successfully with my feelings today: (1=very ineffectual; 10=extremely effective)

__4___ 5) What is your current level of hope for the future: (1=little hope or brightness; 10=extremely hopeful and bright)

__10___ 6) What was the worst level of negativity or selfishness of some other people around you (1=almost no negativity or selfishness observed; 10=extremely strong negative or selfish behavior observed)

Case Two

Acknowledgement

Morning

On November 23, 2001 Thanksgiving morning around 5:30 a.m., I watched the sun rise over the bay off Kapalua from my mother’s kitchen and was in the positive blue zone for almost the whole morning, as I helped my mother prepare for the big feast. At about 10:00a.m. I went down the road to a country store in Kapalua to pick up a few ingredients we needed to finish our Thanksgiving lunch, a Toyota Thundra backed out of his parking space without looking behind him and almost smashed right into me. I could feel myself going from the positive blue zone to a negative blue zone.

Witness

As I sat in the car, I felt the words “dumb idiot” form. I decided that I would not rage over careless driving today. Instead, I felt my fingers clench the steering wheel a little and notice my knuckles turning white and realize he was not worth getting mad over so I went from negative blue zone to positive blue zone as I watched him back out, when he looked back, he said, “Sorry sistah, Happy Thanksgiving.” I just had to laugh.

Modifying

I decide early on in the day, I would stay in the positive blue zone and not let things bother me.

Afternoon

Acknowledgement

Around 2:00 p.m. I decided that I was going to take a nap and do some reading after I woke up. With 3 families home for the holiday, it is hard to take a nap with so much noise. I tried to nap and felt some negative behavior coming on.

Witness

At this point, I really wanted to go to sleep and I could feel my emotions change from positive to negative in a few seconds. As I lay on the bed, I would toss and turn, hold the pillow over my head, and covered myself with the blanket thinking it would reduce the noise. I stood up and closed all the windows to further minimize all the outside noise. I could feel my mood changing from positive blue zone to positive red zone, every few seconds. After a while I must have gone to sleep because when I woke up it was around 6:00p.m.

Modifying

I kept my emotions in tack and not let the negative emotions control unwanted thoughts and feelings that would cause unnecessary chaos and spoiling everyone’s holiday.

Night

Acknowledgement

It is around 8:00 p.m. and everyone is stuffed from Thanksgiving dinner. I decide that I want to go for a drive down Kapalua Hill. As I am about to get into the car my dog leaps over me and gets in on the passenger side. I go from the blue zone to negative red zone in seconds. I know at this point I am having a rage episode.

Witness

My thoughts in my head are to beat this dog silly. I felt my fist ball up to punch him out, with his tail wagging all in my face. I could feel my breath getting short and stuffy. On the inside my heartbeat was beating twice as fast its normal rate and hard. I also felt my forehead wrinkle up.

Modifying

Even though I realize I was in negative red zone and I had aggressive thoughts towards this dog, I could not carry it out. I soon calmed down and went into positive red zone feeling a little silly, when all the dog wanted to do was ride in the car with me. Before, I even left the driveway, I was already in the positive blue zone, talking and singing to the dog.

Global Rating:

__8___ 1) What was my strongest stress point today: (1=very weak; 10=extreme)

__9___ 2) What was my strongest level of satisfaction with myself today: (1=very weak; 10=extreme)

__9___ 3) What was my best level of effectiveness or productivity today: (1=very weak; 10=extreme)

__8___ 4) What was my best level of coping successfully with my feelings today: (1=very ineffectual; 10=extremely effective)

__7___ 5) What is your current level of hope for the future: (1=little hope or brightness; 10=extremely hopeful and bright)

__8___ 6) What was the worst level of negativity or selfishness of some other people around you (1=almost no negativity or selfishness observed; 10=extremely strong negative or selfish behavior observed)

Case Three

Acknowledgement

Morning

It is Friday morning, November 24, 2001, I watched the sunrise over the ocean this morning and dolphins spinning in the air in the cool morning breeze. I was in my positive blue zone until noon that day. I did not rage or feel any negative feeling this morning.

Witness

At this point, I notice how relax I felt, my whole body limp in the chaise lounge chair and how white my toes are. I also notice that I was not clenching my teeth and my eye brows were not crinkled together. My arms were just laying on the side and felt very heavy as I watched the sun. My muscles all in a relax mode, as if I did not have a care in the world. I also notice my breath was long and deep, not short and stuffy when I get mad at something or someone.

Modifying

I feel there was no need to modify my behavior.

Afternoon

Acknowledgement

Around noontime, the whole family wanted to get together and take pictures of all those that participated in Thanksgiving Day celebrations. So, they wanted to do it by family heads. I was getting a little annoyed with my children because they kept on goofing around and making funny faces at the camera. I could feel myself going from my positive blue zone to my negative blue zone.

Witness

I had pessimistic thinking of I should just leave my children standing there looking stupid and walk off to the other side. Let my grandfather yell at them. Right— then and there I felt my arm raise as to slap all three of them. My two legs were tensing up and I could feel my calf muscle tense that it causes me to get a slight cramp in my leg. My neck muscle started to hurt and I could feel the pressure building up around my neck area.

Modifying

After realizing I was in a negative blue zone, I decided it was not worth getting into a rage over. I went along with their goofiness, although I still had thoughts of slapping them across their heads for acting up while we were trying to do family photos. Throughout the afternoon I kept going from positive blue zone to negative blue zone..

Night

Acknowledgement

It is around 7:30 p.m. and I am sitting on my mother’s lanai watching the moon over the ocean. I hear the waves pounding against the side of the cliff and I am in my positive blue zone.

Witness

I notice how calm my breath is and that I can barely hear myself breathing. I am also weak in the legs because my muscles are relax. I do not feel any tension in my body or around my neck. I also feel my eye lids wanting to close as the gentle breeze touch my face.

Modifying

I do not think I have to modify any behavior because I am in my positive blue zone.

Global Rating

__6___ 1) What was my strongest stress point today: (1=very weak; 10=extreme)

__9___ 2) What was my strongest level of satisfaction with myself today: (1=very weak; 10=extreme)

__9___ 3) What was my best level of effectiveness or productivity today: (1=very weak; 10=extreme)

__9___ 4) What was my best level of coping successfully with my feelings today: (1=very ineffectual; 10=extremely effective)

__9___ 5) What is your current level of hope for the future: (1=little hope or brightness; 10=extremely hopeful and bright)

__1___ 6) What was the worst level of negativity or selfishness of some other people around you (1=almost no negativity or selfishness observed; 10=extremely strong negative or selfish behavior observed)

Case Four

Acknowledgement

Morning

It is Saturday morning, November 25^th, 2001, around 6:00 a.m. I woke up to watch the sunrise one more day over the Kapalua ridge, before returning to city life. I glanced from one end to the other end to see birds flying high and the sun peeping over the horizon, when my mother rudely interrupted me. She kept on jabbering about the kids and everything else, when I just wanted to sit there and just enjoy the moment. I could feel my negative blue zone

coming on.

Witness

I notice how calm my body felt until I was rudely interrupted and I could feel a little tense in my finger tips. I notice my attitude change from positive to negative within minutes. I notice I stretched my toes out as my mother kept jabbering away. I kept on rotating my neck and could feel little pressure building around my neck muscles. I also kept shrugging my shoulder as if to relieve the pain in the middle of my back.

Modifying

I knew I needed to adjust my attitude as my mother spoke. I knew if I let her keep interrupting me I would go from a negative blue zone to a negative red rage if I did not control my temper and the situation at hand. So, instead I blocked her out and just sat there and have pessimistic thoughts of how she was ruining my morning.

Acknowledgement

Afternoon

It is 1:28p.m. and I am on the intersection of King and Dillingham, I am trying to reach going back home from school. I was waiting at a red traffic light on King Street, so I could make a right turn to continue the trip to home. However on this particular day, the traffic on King Street was pretty heavy. Cars started to line up behind my car. Since there was red traffic sign on King Street and across it said, “No Right Turn on Red.” cars were blowing their horn to turn right. I didn’t turn right until the light turn green. I was waiting patiently for the traffic light to turn green.

Witness

I noticed that I was getting a little annoyed by the cars behind me beeping their horn. I was calmly listening to the music with a happy face, but my face expression started to change. I took a deep breath and put a tired look on my face. Then I started to tap my index finger on steering handle. A wait that took little over than a minute seemed like forever in my mind. My mouth just dropped and suddenly rage took over me. After that I started badmouthing the cars behind me. I wanted to hit their car and just continue with my frustrated trip. I notice that I quickly went from positive blue zone to negative red zone within a couple of seconds.

Modify

Sadly, I knew I was raging and I did not modify my behavior sooner. But when I look back at this experience, I can see how easily I became emotional with the rage. I viewed the whole event only from my point of view. I could have been more open to the other possibilities that could have made the cars behind me blowing their horn and I assume they were blowing it at me.

Acknowledgement

Night

It is 10 p.m. and the house is quiet its peaceful and everyone is sleeping like a baby. Night after night it is the constant cry of small children from the new neighbors, it is a constant complaint of mine, my rage is so furious with the kids and their parents that I just feel like reaching out of my window into the neighbors and strangling those kids and their parents.

Witness

Every night I go to bed hoping not to hear the cries of our new neighbors children. On the night that day due cry, I find myself stretching my legs, rolling from side to side, and holding the pillow over my head. I can feel my emotions going from negative blue zone to negative red zone in a matter of seconds. My face gets all strain and I am up half the night because of those kids.

Modify

I have tried to go to bed before my next door neighbor kids start crying, I have gone as far as sleeping in a different room away from the noise. No matter what part of the house I am in I can still hear them crying. So my next step is to by ear plugs and see if that works.

Global Rating

__8___ 1) What was my strongest stress point today: (1=very weak; 10=extreme)

__4___ 2) What was my strongest level of satisfaction with myself today: (1=very weak; 10=extreme)

__5___ 3) What was my best level of effectiveness or productivity today: (1=very weak; 10=extreme)

__6___ 4) What was my best level of coping successfully with my feelings today: (1=very ineffectual; 10=extremely effective)

__7___ 5) What is your current level of hope for the future: (1=little hope or brightness; 10=extremely hopeful and bright)

Case Five

Acknowledgement

Morning

It is Monday morning around 7:15 a.m. and I am running late to school. I need to get out of the parking lot and there is a car blocking the exit entrance. I sit there patiently and wait while my temper is rising.

Witness

Sitting in the car, I notice I am gripping the steering wheel tighter and my knuckles are turning white. Although, it seem like forever, in reality it was only a couple of seconds, but I felt my neck muscles tighten and my mouth spitting out fowl language.

Modify

In this situation I could have prepared the night before and got up a little earlier instead of procrastinating until the last minute. I could have a little more control over my emotional spin cycle, instead of letting it get the best of me.

Acknowledgement

Afternoon

It is 1:00p.m. and 15 minutes to go before class is over. I am in a negative blue zone thinking pessimistic thoughts of how I am going to get out of this class and then have to go to work and deal with drug abusers. Sitting there having these thoughts just make me get frustrated and not want to go to work.

Witness

I notice I was not paying attention to the professor, I kept fidgeting with my pen, and kept moving my knees side to side. I also notice everything else in class but the lesson at hand.

Modify

I should have been thinking about class itself. I should have had control over those pessimistic thoughts and dealt with work at work and not at school. I should sit up straight and in the front row so I would pay attention to the lesson at hand and not watch the clock.

Acknowledgement

Night

I get home around 7:00p.m. and the house is quiet and everyone is upstairs studying or went to bed. I go to take a shower and come out calm and relax. I check on everyone and find myself in positive blue zone, by 8:00p.m. everyone is in bed and I am off to dream land.

Witness

Before going to sleep, I notice I am relax, no tense muscles, headaches or stress.

Modify

No modification is needed

Global Rating

__6___ 1) What was my strongest stress point today: (1=very weak; 10=extreme)

__8___ 2) What was my strongest level of satisfaction with myself today: (1=very weak; 10=extreme)

__8___ 3) What was my best level of effectiveness or productivity today: (1=very weak; 10=extreme)

__7___ 4) What was my best level of coping successfully with my feelings today: (1=very ineffectual; 10=extremely effective)

__10__ 5) What is your current level of hope for the future: (1=little hope or brightness; 10=extremely hopeful and bright)

___6__ 6) What was the worst level of negativity or selfishness of some other people around you (1=almost no negativity or selfishness observed; 10=extremely strong negative or selfish behavior observed)

Case Six

Acknowledgement

Morning

It is Tuesday morning, 7:00a.m. and I do not have to be in class until 1:00p.m. the kids already left for school and I have the whole house to myself. I allow myself not to rush and take my time to get dress and finish up some last minute homework and not let myself get worked up about today’s event outside of my house.

Witness

Lazy walk, casual dressing, no stress, no headaches, and no one to grumble with.

Modification

No modification is needed

Acknowledgement

Afternoon

It is 4:00p.m. and the traffic is heavy on the H-1 and all I want to do is go home. There are cars darting in and out of traffic and cars not using blinkers when they are crossing lanes. In front of me is a Robert’s Bus and the driver is crawling on the freeway and he wants to go to his right lane and take the Pali cut off. The cars on the right refuses to let him in so, he is tying up all the traffic in my lane and no one can pass because both sides are blocked. Sitting in traffic I can feel my negative blue zone moving towards my negative red zone.

Witness

Sitting in traffic I can feel myself scratching under my feet and tensing my leg. I notice I started pounding on the steering wheel, yelling to myself, “let the guy in.” I find myself flicking through radio stations without realizing what I am doing and touching my hair. I also notice that I am griping the steering wheel harder than usual and realize my knuckles are turning white and my emotions is going into the negative red zone.

Modify

In this situation I should have taken the back roads of Manoa and stayed off the free way knowing that traffic was heavy and it is the time that most people get off from work. Also, I should have been following the bus and leave the freeway or waited until the traffic died down before I made my way home.

Acknowledgement

Night

It is about 6:00p.m. and I am finally home from UHM, I am a little in my negative blue zone, so I head straight for the showers and decide not to take this out on my family. When I come down at 7:30p.m., my kids decided to order pizza and make it an easy night. We spent the whole night playing family games and talking.

Witness

Very calm and I am in my positive blue zone, and laughing and having a good time with my family

Modification

No modification needed

Global Rating

__8___ 1) What was my strongest stress point today: (1=very weak; 10=extreme)

__9___ 2) What was my strongest level of satisfaction with myself today: (1=very weak; 10=extreme)

__9___ 3) What was my best level of effectiveness or productivity today: (1=very weak; 10=extreme)

__10___ 4) What was my best level of coping successfully with my feelings today: (1=very ineffectual; 10=extremely effective)

__10___ 5) What is your current level of hope for the future: (1=little hope or brightness; 10=extremely hopeful and bright)

Case Seven

Acknowledgement

Morning

It is 7:20a.m. and I am driving to school and I feel a flu coming on. I go pass Burger King on King Street and end up turning around, because I do not feel well at all. All I can think about is going to sleep. I decide to take Dillingham Boulevard and I start getting the chills and sweats at the same time. I am getting a little annoyed because the traffic light cannot turn green fast enough by Honolulu Community College. As soon as the light turn green I go racing towards the house, however, I hit another red light by now I am getting a little bit more annoyed. By now I have hit four red lights and felt like I was not moving fast enough. By the time I reach the house I am more than ticked off at myself.

Witness

I knew I had a cold but I did not know I had all the symptoms of common flu, I could feel my body going from hot to cold in a matter of seconds. I notice I was not alert as I should have been and it seem like I was going through a daze of traffic.

Modify

In this situation, I should have pulled on the side and called home for help. As for getting ticked off I should have just been a little more patient with myself and realize how slow I was driving. Perhaps, that is why I was catching all the red lights.

Acknowledgement

Afternoon

Psych 409a (or 409b or 459)--Fall 2001--G15 Dr. Leon James, Instructor

November 23, 2001

Introduction

Psych 409a (or 409b or 459)--Fall 2001--G15
Dr. Leon James, Instructor