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Return control to the rational mind

Emotional Intelligence and Resilience: Follow On Training 4 hours

This four-hour course introduces the three-brain model and the emotional survival sequence: fear, freeze, flight, fight. Delegates learn to recognise this sequence in everyday working life and interrupt it. By the end, delegates manage their emotions more effectively, think clearly under pressure, and perform with greater confidence.

Available as live online training via Microsoft Teams, or as bespoke in-house training tailored to your organisation.

Quality Training
Established 1997
4 CPD Hours
Delivery Options Upcoming Dates

Course Overview

Emotional intelligence and resilience: managing your own mind under pressure

Many people are aware that emotions can interfere with clear thinking, but far fewer know how to interrupt that interference once it has started. This four-hour follow-on course is the second of six specialist programmes designed for delegates who have completed the Leadership and Management Training two-day course and want to develop a deeper capability in each of the six essential leadership skill areas. This session focuses on the fifth skill: the ability to manage your own emotions so that the rational mind stays in control, even in difficult, stressful, or threatening situations.

The course opens with the three-brain model: the rational mind, the emotional mind, and the instinctive mind. The rational mind is responsible for solving problems, making plans, setting goals, and making sound decisions; it is the part of the mind that produces success. The emotional and instinctive minds, however, react to perceived threat by triggering a four-stage survival sequence: fear, freeze, flight, fight. Once this sequence is running, the emotional and instinctive brains dominate, the rational mind is sidelined, and the ability to think clearly, plan, and act effectively is severely diminished.

The survival sequence appears in everyday working life in ways that are easy to miss if you do not know what you are looking for. Going blank in a meeting, avoiding a difficult conversation, procrastinating on a challenging task, reacting with anger to a stressful situation, or dropping into resignation and giving up: all of these are the survival sequence in action. Unlike Leading with Love, which examines how leaders can create emotional safety for the people they manage, this course turns the focus inward, giving delegates a practical method for recognising and interrupting their own emotional reactions before those reactions produce poor decisions or lost performance.

The course then introduces the nine problem-solving questions, known as the 9PSQs. These are a structured set of questions that redirect attention away from the perceived threat and back towards facts, goals, plans, resources, and the specific actions that will move the situation forward. Each question is designed to engage the rational mind and break the grip of the emotional sequence. The 9PSQs complement the goal-setting techniques covered in the Setting and Achieving Goals follow-on session, providing the emotional self-management foundation that makes sustained goal pursuit possible, even when conditions become difficult.

Emotional Management diagram — three brain regions labelled: Rational Brain (blue, upper), Emotional Brain (pink, middle), and Instinctive Brain (yellow, lower). A flow arrow shows: If we perceive a threat → Fear, Freeze, Flight, Fight. A caption reads: The emotional and instinctive brains are more primitive and powerful, but they are not smart enough to guide successful, intelligent action. We must return control to the rational brain, the best brain we have.

Core Skills

The Key Skills Covered

This course focuses on the fifth of the six essential leadership skills: the ability to manage your own emotions, maintain rational control, and build personal resilience under pressure. Each section provides a practical method that delegates can apply immediately on returning to work.

  1. 1

    The Three-Brain Model

    We explore in detail how the three-brain model governs behaviour under pressure. The rational mind is the seat of productive performance: it solves problems, makes plans, and drives progress. The emotional and instinctive minds are powerful but not wise under stress; they run automatic survival programmes that may have been useful for our ancestors but regularly undermine judgement and performance in professional settings.

  2. 2

    The Four-Stage Survival Sequence

    Fear, freeze, flight, fight: the survival sequence is triggered by perceived threat, not necessarily genuine danger. Once it is running, rational thinking is displaced and decision-making deteriorates. Delegates learn to identify the precise point at which the sequence begins in their own responses, and understand why the emotional brain can be activated by false alarms just as readily as real ones.

  3. 3

    Recognising the Sequence in Real Life

    Going blank, avoiding tasks, procrastinating, snapping at colleagues, and dropping into resignation are all manifestations of the survival sequence. Delegates examine each presentation in turn, identifying which stage they are most prone to and how the sequence shows up in their own specific behaviour and thought patterns. This self-knowledge is the first step towards genuine self-management.

  4. 4

    Interrupting the Emotional Sequence

    Once delegates can recognise the survival sequence as it appears in their own reactions, the next step is learning to interrupt it. The course covers a set of practical techniques for disrupting the emotional pattern and returning control to the rational mind, so that the response to a difficult situation becomes one of clear thought and purposeful action rather than reactive emotion.

  5. 5

    The Nine Problem-Solving Questions

    The nine problem-solving questions (9PSQs) are the primary tool taught on this course. Each question directs attention toward a specific area: the factual reality of the situation, the goal that still needs to be achieved, the plan for reaching it, the resources available, and the very next action that will move things forward. Working through the questions systematically disrupts the emotional sequence and re-engages the rational mind.

  6. 6

    Building Personal Resilience

    Resilience is not the absence of emotion; it is the ability to return quickly to rational thinking after emotional disturbance. Delegates learn how to apply the 9PSQs not only in acute high-pressure moments but as a regular self-management discipline, so that their default response to difficulty becomes rational problem-solving rather than emotional reaction. The result is a consistent, sustainable level of performance under pressure.

Who Is This Course For?

Who Should Attend This Follow On: Emotional Intelligence and Resilience Course?

Designed for anyone who wants to improve self-control, personal resilience, and rational thinking under conditions of stress, pressure, or self-doubt.

Leadership and Management Graduates

Deepen your emotional self-management capability after completing the two-day programme.

Professionals Under Pressure

Gain practical tools to think clearly, make sound decisions, and perform effectively even when circumstances are demanding.

Anyone Prone to Self-Doubt

Replace emotional reaction with a structured, rational response to the situations you find most challenging.

Individuals Seeking Greater Resilience

Build a lasting capacity to recover quickly from setbacks, pressure, and emotional disturbance.

Also valuable for team leaders and managers who want to develop their own emotional self-management alongside the people-leadership skills developed on the two-day programme, and for HR and L&D professionals building a blended personal development curriculum.

Course Agenda

Follow On: Emotional Intelligence and Resilience Course Details

1

First Half • Understanding the Mind Under Pressure • The three-brain model, the survival sequence, and how it appears in real life

Establish why the rational mind is the engine of all effective performance, explore the three-brain model in depth, and learn to recognise the four-stage survival sequence as it manifests in your own thinking, decisions, and everyday behaviour.

We open by establishing what emotional self-management actually means in practice and why it matters for performance. Managing your emotions does not mean suppressing feelings; it means ensuring that the rational mind, rather than the emotional or instinctive mind, remains in control of your decisions and actions. We examine why this ability is fundamental to every other leadership and personal effectiveness skill, and set the frame for everything that follows in the session.
The three-brain model describes the three distinct systems that govern human behaviour: the rational mind, the emotional mind, and the instinctive mind. The rational mind is the seat of planning, problem-solving, goal-setting, and creative thinking. It is the part of the mind we need most in professional life. The emotional mind drives feelings, including the confidence and motivation that support performance, but also the fear, anger, and self-doubt that undermine it. The instinctive mind controls automatic survival reactions that bypass rational thought entirely. Understanding how these three systems interact is the foundation of the entire course.
The rational mind processes facts, weighs options, considers consequences, and selects the response most likely to achieve the desired outcome. The emotional and instinctive minds do not do this; they react to signals of threat or safety using programmes laid down by evolution rather than by careful analysis of the current situation. A perceived threat in the office is processed by the same brain systems that would respond to a physical danger in the wild, which is why emotional reactions in professional settings are so often disproportionate and counterproductive. The rational mind is the only part of us that can recognise this and choose a better response.
The emotional brain monitors the environment continuously for signals of threat. These signals do not need to represent genuine danger; the emotional brain reacts to perceived threats just as readily as to real ones. A difficult conversation, an unexpected setback, a critical remark, or even an uncertain situation can all trigger the same threat response. Once activated, the emotional brain floods the system with signals that begin to override rational thinking, and the survival sequence starts.
The survival sequence has four stages: fear, freeze, flight, fight. Fear is the initial emotional response to perceived threat. Freeze is the paralysis that follows when the mind goes blank and rational processing shuts down. Flight is the impulse to withdraw: to avoid the threatening situation, procrastinate, or disengage. Fight is the aggressive or defensive reaction that follows if flight is not possible. Each stage represents an escalation of emotional control over behaviour and a corresponding reduction in the quality of thinking and decision-making.
The sequence manifests in ways that are easy to mistake for character traits or bad habits. Going blank when asked a difficult question is freeze. Avoiding a challenging task or postponing a difficult conversation is flight. Reacting with irritation or anger to pressure is fight. Dropping into despair and giving up after a setback is the sequence running to its conclusion. Delegates examine each of these manifestations in the context of their own professional situations, identifying the specific triggers and patterns that are most relevant to them.
2

Second Half • Interrupting the Sequence and Applying the 9PSQs • Practical tools to reclaim rational control and build lasting personal resilience

Learn how to interrupt the emotional survival sequence at its earliest point, apply the nine problem-solving questions to redirect your mind from fear towards facts and planned action, and build the personal resilience to perform consistently under pressure.

The answer is that we cannot win while the emotional sequence is in control. The emotional and instinctive minds do not lead us to the best answer; they lead us to the safest answer from a survival perspective, which is rarely the most effective answer in a professional context. The only route to performing well under pressure is to minimise the grip of the negative emotional sequence and return control to the rational mind. This half of the course is entirely focused on how to do that.
Interrupting the sequence requires recognising it early, before it gains full momentum. The first step is awareness: the ability to notice, in the moment, that the sequence has started. The second step is a deliberate intervention that redirects the focus of attention away from the threatening stimulus and towards something that engages the rational mind. We cover specific techniques for making this shift quickly, even in high-pressure situations, and practise applying them to scenarios drawn from delegates' own professional experience.
The nine problem-solving questions, known as the 9PSQs, are a structured questioning sequence designed to pull the mind out of emotional reaction and into rational analysis. Each question addresses a specific aspect of the situation: the factual reality of what has actually happened, the goal that is still to be achieved, the current state of the plan, the resources and options available, and the specific next action that will move things forward. By working through the questions in sequence, delegates systematically restore rational function and identify the most productive path forward, regardless of how difficult the situation feels.
The emotional brain focuses attention on the threatening element of a situation and amplifies it. The 9PSQs work in the opposite direction: each question forces the mind to engage with a specific, objective aspect of reality rather than the emotional interpretation of it. Questions about what the facts actually are, what the goal remains, and what specific actions are available do not leave room for the emotional brain to continue running the survival narrative. They restore a rational frame of reference, which is the precondition for sound judgement and effective action.
Rational optimism is not the belief that things will work out regardless of effort; it is the confidence that by thinking clearly and taking purposeful action, you are more likely to make progress than by reacting emotionally. The 9PSQs build this mindset by repeatedly demonstrating that even in difficult situations there are facts to be assessed, goals to be pursued, plans to be adjusted, and actions to be taken. Over time, the habit of returning to rational analysis after emotional disturbance becomes the default response, producing a durable and realistic form of resilience.
Resilience builds through repeated practice of the return to rational thinking. The more frequently delegates apply the interruption techniques and the 9PSQs in their daily lives, the shorter the time between the onset of the emotional sequence and the recovery of rational control. The course concludes by showing delegates how to design this practice into their working routines so that it becomes habitual rather than exceptional, producing a sustained improvement in their capacity to handle pressure, setbacks, and uncertainty without losing performance.
The session closes with a structured review of all the techniques covered and an individual action planning exercise. Each delegate identifies the emotional pattern they most want to change, selects the specific tool or question from the 9PSQ sequence they will apply first, and commits to a concrete next action. Delegates leave with a clear, written plan ready to implement immediately on returning to work.

Availability and Pricing

Delivery Options

Choose the delivery format that best fits your schedule and team.

All options deliver the same high-quality content.

Online Live Training

£200 +VAT

per delegate

Interactive live sessions delivered via Teams using our superior green-screen technology.

  • Same content as face-to-face
  • Learn from home or office
  • Delivered via MS Teams
  • Laptop or tablet with webcam
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Bespoke In-House

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per training day

We come to you. Training delivered at your premises, tailored to your team's specific needs.

  • Your premises or online
  • Tailored to your organisation
  • Dates to suit your schedule
  • We can train in your timezone
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All Our Training Includes

Full 4 hours of expert training delivered by an experienced trainer
CPD-endorsed course: 4 CPD training hours (plus 2-3 additional hours via post-course online learning)
Full digital interactive course notes
Official training certificate
Access to free additional training material via our post-course portal
3 months of free telephone coaching while you implement your learning

Questions? Call 020 3856 3037 or 01452 856091

Upcoming Dates

Next Available Course Dates

No upcoming dates are currently listed.
Please get in touch to enquire about availability.

Contact Us

Frequently Asked Questions

Course FAQs

You can book directly online via our course dates page, call us on 020 3856 3037, or make an enquiry and we will call you back. We accept payment by BACS, cheque or credit card. Once booked, you will receive a confirmation email with full joining instructions.
Yes. We can deliver this course exclusively for your team at your premises or online, on dates to suit you. Bespoke in-house training is priced per day rather than per delegate, making it cost-effective for groups of four or more. We can also tailor the content to address your organisation's specific challenges.
This course is designed as a follow-on to the two-day Leadership and Management Training programme and sits within the structured series of six specialist follow-on sessions. However, the content is fully self-contained: delegates who have not attended the two-day course but want a focused, practical programme in emotional self-management and personal resilience will find it equally accessible and immediately applicable.
The survival sequence is a four-stage response triggered by the emotional brain when it perceives a threat, whether that threat is real or imaginary. The four stages are: fear (the initial emotional response), freeze (mental paralysis and the inability to think clearly), flight (avoidance, procrastination, and disengagement), and fight (anger, defensiveness, or aggression). Once the sequence is running, rational thinking is effectively disabled. Poor decisions, missed opportunities, damaged relationships, and lost performance are all direct consequences of allowing the survival sequence to run unchecked. This course gives delegates the tools to interrupt it.
The nine problem-solving questions (9PSQs) are a structured set of questions that redirect the focus of attention from emotional reaction to rational analysis. Each question targets a specific area: the actual facts of the situation, the goal that remains to be achieved, the state of the current plan, the resources and options available, and the specific next action that will move things forward. Working through the questions in sequence restores rational control even under high pressure. The full set of questions is taught and practised during the session, and delegates leave with a reference they can apply in any difficult situation.
Leading with Love is primarily an outward-focused course: it examines how leaders can manage the emotional states of their team, create psychological safety, and lead people through change in a way that protects clear thinking. This course is inward-focused: it gives individuals the tools to manage their own emotional reactions, interrupt their personal survival sequence, and restore their own rational control. The two programmes are complementary; together they address both the internal and external dimensions of emotional intelligence.
Yes. Procrastination is the flight stage of the survival sequence: the emotional brain perceives a task as threatening and triggers an avoidance response. Self-doubt is a form of fear: the emotional brain signals that failure or exposure is imminent, which shuts down the rational confidence needed to take action. Both are addressed directly on this course. Delegates learn to recognise these patterns for what they are, apply the interruption techniques to break the pattern, and use the 9PSQs to redirect their thinking towards the productive action the situation actually requires.
Yes, the training is highly interactive. Sessions include group discussions, exercises, case studies and individual action planning. The trainer actively teaches expert content rather than simply facilitating discussion, so delegates leave with structured knowledge they can apply immediately. The style is engaging and practical throughout.

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On This Page

  1. 1 Course Overview
  2. 2 Key Skills
  3. 3 Who Should Attend
  4. 4 Course Agenda
  5. 5 Delivery Options
  6. 6 Upcoming Dates
  7. 7 FAQs

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Online Live Training £200 +VAT
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★★★★★

"Useful models with clear examples of how they relate to work/life scenarios. Engaging and memorable stress on time & priority management, wrapped up in a professional and personable delivery. Informative, educational and enjoyable. The trainer was Confident. Professional. Engaging. Able to seamlessly move between points & conversational periods back to material. 100/100 "

Jack Kumble

Aldersgate Group

★★★★★

"I had a wonderful experience with such a learning oriented course. It was really beneficial for me in terms of managing conflict, directing and delegating the tasks, setting about the priority of tasks effectively. Gezz is unique trainer I must say, equipped with wonderful expertise and practical examples both for professional and personal life`s relevancy. "

Sameera Rasheed

ASK Development Ltd

★★★★★

"This was my first management course. I found the course to contain excellent content and showed me the importance of positive mental thinking and having good planning and communications skills."

Roger Morter

Langley House Trust

Related Reading

Ready to Manage Your Emotions and Think Clearly Under Pressure?

Book this four-hour follow-on session for yourself or your team, and leave with a practical set of tools to interrupt the emotional survival sequence and maintain rational performance in every difficult situation.

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020 3856 3037 01452 856091