You Can Choose Your Emotions

The Coaching Crowd® Podcast with Jo Wheatley & Zoe Hawkins

Have you ever felt like your emotions are running the show, as though you're at the mercy of how you feel rather than in control of it?

In this episode, we explore one of the most liberating principles in emotional coaching, the idea that:

You can choose your emotions.

It might sound idealistic at first, yet through our conversation we unpack what it truly means to take ownership of your emotional world and experience greater freedom within it.

As we close our six-part Emotions Coaching series, we dive deep into how this principle nurtures confidence, emotional resilience, and wellbeing. We talk about the belief that while we can't always choose our circumstances or the people around us, we can always choose how we respond. This is what we call emotional freedom, being response-able rather than reactive.

Throughout the episode, we reflect on how coaching invites people to explore how they want to feel, not only how they currently feel. It's a powerful shift that opens the door to new possibilities and helps align emotions with meaningful action.

We discuss the importance of moving from default emotional scripts towards more conscious, choice-driven responses that honour who we are today and who we aspire to become.

We also share how this principle comes alive in real coaching sessions: how a gentle "What if you could choose how you feel right now?" can help clients open up new emotional landscapes, and why validating current emotions before introducing this idea is crucial.

From building self-leadership to navigating the tension between responsibility and blame, this episode encourages listeners to experiment with emotional choice in their daily lives. We even share a light-hearted story about how this plays out in our own relationships, proof that emotional awareness doesn't mean perfection, but presence, curiosity, and compassion.

Choosing your emotions is about living life by design. When you step into the belief that emotional choice is possible, you begin shaping a life led by intention, not reaction.

Timestamps:

• 00:27 – Why emotional choice nurtures confidence and wellbeing
• 01:25 – Understanding emotional freedom and being "response-able"
• 02:18 – Coaching conversations that invite emotional choice
• 03:44 – Breaking free from default emotional scripts
• 05:10 – Aligning emotions and action in coaching
• 06:03 – The power of "What if you could choose how you feel right now?"
• 07:28 – Recognising emotional discounting in clients
• 09:45 – Emotional choice as part of everyday self-leadership
• 11:11 – Designing your emotional experience
• 13:02 – How to introduce emotional choice safely in coaching
• 15:12 – Projection, resistance, and emotional responsibility
• 17:51 – Balancing ownership with compassion
• 18:48 – Emotional choice as liberation and empowerment
• 19:17 – How to learn more through our accredited programmes

Key Lessons Learned:

• Emotional choice begins with awareness, recognising you can shift how you feel opens the door to freedom.
• Coaching creates a unique space where people can explore how they want to feel, not only how they currently feel.
• Emotional freedom means moving from reaction to response, from script to self-leadership.
• Taking ownership of your emotions enhances confidence and wellbeing, especially when life feels uncertain.
• Introducing emotional choice requires sensitivity, timing and compassion are key to helping clients embrace it.
• Living by emotional design means choosing alignment between feeling, thinking, and doing.
• Responsibility brings freedom; when we own our emotions, we access choice, growth, and empowerment.

Keywords:

emotional freedom, emotions coaching, choosing emotions, emotional intelligence, self-leadership, coaching skills, personal growth, mindset coaching, emotional resilience, emotional awareness

Links:

Emotions Coaching Practitioner Training (ICF accredited): igcompany.com/emotionscoaching

Coaching Qualifications and Quiz: mycoachingcourse.com