Y3. Manage Emotions toolkit
Toolkit
School leadership often tests composure. This toolkit helps you turn emotional awareness into a deliberate leadership habit by identifying triggers, building space to respond, and modelling the steadiness your school needs.
| Recognise the trigger |
| Think of a recent situation that caused a strong emotional reaction. What specifically set it off: a tone, a word, a sense of unfairness? Understanding your triggers is the first step to managing them. |
| Notice your body’s signaL |
| List what happens physically when emotions rise: racing heart, tense shoulders, shallow breathing. These are early warning signs that you’re entering a reactive state. |
| Create the pause |
| Decide what you’ll do when you feel yourself reacting. Step outside, count to ten, write an unsent email, do anything that creates space between feeling and response. |
| Reframe the challenge |
| Write down one difficult situation you’re currently facing and reframe it through your values. Instead of “They’re being difficult,” try “This is a chance to practise composure and clarity.” |
| Anchor in purpose |
| What principle or value do you want to demonstrate in moments of pressure: fairness, calm, respect? Choose one and use it as a decision compass when emotions run high. |
| Reset after intensity |
| After a challenging encounter, take five minutes to breathe, walk, or jot reflections. Emotional recovery protects you from fatigue and models healthy self-management. |
| Reflection prompts |
| When have I allowed emotion to shape a decision? What helps me stay grounded in moments of stress? How does my tone influence the people around me? What routines help me reset after difficult days? |
Y3. Manage Emotions: example toolkit
Role: Headteacher
| Recognise the trigger |
| A late Friday complaint triggered frustration, driven by a sense of unfairness. Naming this separates facts from feelings and shows me where expectations and justice shape reactions. |
| Notice your body’s signal |
| Faster breathing, a tight jaw, and shaky hands are my cues to slow down, breathe, and pause. |
| Create the pause |
| I will count to five before speaking and request a short break when possible so I can respond with intention. |
| Reframe the challenge |
| After encountering negativity, I will replace they are negative with this is a chance to show patience and clarity. |
| Anchor in purpose |
| My value is fairness. Before I respond, I will ask, what would fairness look like here? |
| Reset after intensity |
| After hard moments, I will walk, breathe, or tidy my desk, then note what happened, what I learned, and what I will do next time. |
| Intended Impact |
| Steadiness becomes a hallmark of my leadership, making difficult conversations more constructive and deepening trust. |