Cherri Forsyth Coaching

22/06/2026

NAVIGATING EMOTIONS- How to stay steady when life gets difficult.

One of the Six Seconds Emotional Intelligence competencies is Navigating Emotions—the ability to assess, harness, and transform emotions as a strategic resource.

I always thought I was good with emotions until I completed the Six Seconds Emotional Intelligence Assessment. To my surprise, Navigating Emotions came back as my lowest score of all the competencies.

I have to admit, it was quite a shock to discover a low score in an area where I believed I was doing well.

One of the biggest misconceptions about emotional intelligence is that it means controlling or suppressing our emotions. That is not what Navigating Emotions is all about.

Navigating Emotions is about being intentional in our responses. It is about experiencing emotions without becoming overwhelmed by them. It is about using our emotions as valuable data that can inform better choices and wiser behaviour.

It is not about becoming "emotionless."

Instead, we need to acknowledge our emotions, understand the message they are trying to give us, and then consciously choose our response.

It is relatively easy to navigate emotions well when life is going smoothly. When there are no major challenges, no significant stressors, and everything seems to be falling into place, emotional management can feel effortless.

After all, when we are happy and comfortable, responding well emotionally is much easier.

However, it is during life's challenges—sometimes multiple challenges at once—that our ability to navigate emotions is truly tested. These moments reveal just how emotionally agile we really are.

Think about the last time you lost control of your emotions.

What was happening?

Who were you with?

What did "losing it" look like for you?

Perhaps you became angry, withdrawn, defensive, overwhelmed, or paralysed by indecision.

Many of us will recognise ourselves in one or more of the following behaviours, which are often signs that we are struggling to navigate our emotions effectively.

What Does Difficulty Navigating Emotions Look Like?
Emotional Reactivity
Quick temper
Defensive responses
Impulsive decisions
Saying things you later regret
Rumination
Replaying conversations repeatedly
Obsessing over mistakes
Difficulty letting go of disappointment
Getting stuck in "what if" and "if only"
Emotional Avoidance
Suppressing feelings
Avoiding difficult conversations
Distracting yourself excessively
Pretending everything is fine
Feeling Overwhelmed
Difficulty thinking clearly under pressure
Emotional exhaustion
Becoming stuck or paralysed by challenges
Struggling to regain perspective
Mood-Driven Behaviour
Letting emotions dictate decisions
Difficulty separating facts from feelings
Making choices based on temporary emotional states

As you read through this list, which of these behaviours do you recognise in yourself?

More importantly, what impact are they having on your relationships, decision-making, wellbeing, and effectiveness?

And perhaps the most important question of all:

How do we begin to change these patterns?

The goal is not to become emotionless.

The goal is not to "stay positive."

The goal is to become emotionally agile.

Emotionally intelligent people still experience fear, disappointment, frustration, sadness, and anger.

The difference is that they do not hand over the steering wheel to those emotions.

They acknowledge what they are feeling, learn from it, and consciously choose their next step.

Perhaps the true measure of emotional intelligence is not whether we experience difficult emotions, but whether we can remain the author of our actions while experiencing them.

Because our emotions are powerful.

But they were never meant to be the driver.

They were meant to be the guide.

05/12/2025

Tips to keep you Emotionally Resilient during this Festive season.
Emotional resilience during this holiday period is a very much needed skill. This should be a time of fun, and celebration but in fact is often a time of stress. Family members are thrown together, and they may not really get along with each other, but “for the sake of the family’ they make a big effort to make things work. This comes at an emotional cost- usually to the so-called bigger person.

Does this sound familiar? So what can you do to help yourself during this time?
According to the Resilience Institute we need these 3 things to ensure our resilience:
• Bounce – navigate stress through awareness and deliberate action.
• Secure well-being – activate calm, build rhythm, and generate energy.
• Perform – connect deeply, focus attention, and find flow.
Resilience is built through many things, but if you forget the details- just remember this one thing- SELF CARE.
How can I keep myself emotionally healthy during the Christmas Break?
The ways we build resilience are very personal. What works for one, may not work for another person. Using the above framework, here is a more practical application. You know most of these things- the trick is to apply them. Work out a plan in advance, and keep to it. Here are a few tips for you:
• Make sure that you have some time away from the family group, so you can re-group!
• Exercise gently- don’t push it
• Walk away if things get too much for you- go to your bedroom, or out for a quiet walk around the block.
• Meditation ( there are many guided meditations on Youtube- just put in a topic and a time and you will be amazed at the choices which come up for you)
• Don’t drink too much- we mistakenly think it will help us cope, but often it allows the volatile side of ourselves to come out!
• Concentrate on spending time with those members of the family you really get on well with. Connection , real connection, builds resilience too.
• And the most important of all- Breathe! When you feel that things are getting too much you can quietly do some deep breathing-making sure your “out” breath is longer than your “in” breath.

Do you have any other tips which have helped you in the past? Please share them, as they may be just the thing another person needs to hear.

19/11/2025

Please take a look at this interview on the Neuroscience of Grief where I am interviewed by Dr Justin Kennedy of the npnhub. Please feel free to make comments or ask questions. And if you would like to know more about the neursocience hub, or Grief, please make contact. Here is the link:https://lnkd.in/drENDFP3

13/11/2025

Part 1 of a 5 part series on the Neuroscience of Grief.
After we had lost our daughter Kerry I began facilitating Grief Workshops. I realised that a lot of what I was experiencing wasn't matching up with the current thinking on how to overcome Grief. I felt like I was sometimes losing my mind, I became forgetful, I was riding waves and waves of emotion, I was battling to concentrate and on top of all of that, I felt exhausted- that deep exhaustion where even your bones feel tired! I'm sure you will have felt some of the same things when you were moving through your grieving process.

So I came up with my own model of grieving, but there were still many symptoms of grief which I couldn't explain. And for many years I continued in this space- of not really knowing what was going on within my body, and mind.

Until I discovered neuroscience and combined it with Grief! And suddenly many of the symptoms we experience were explained.

When someone we love dies, even if we knew the person was ill, and possibly were expecting them to die, our whole body goes into FIght or Flight. There is a cascade of chemicals and hormones released immediately our bodies go into shock. This is our natural reponse when our brain senses a threat to our safety. Our body is reacting to protect us. Because we go into Fight, Flight, Freeze, Appease or Flock these states explain many of the symptoms of grief.

Some people get aggressive and start blaming everyone from God to the doctors (Fight response). Some people withdraw and find that being with people is too exhausting ( Flight) . We usually are numb- we can't feel, we can't remember portions of the time in hospital, or the funeral ( Freeze). We sometimes care too much about everyone else around us, and don't take care of ourselves at all, until we come tumbling down in a heap (Appease). Or we feel we need people around us 24/7. We can't be alone ( Flock).

Other symptoms explained by this amygdala hijack response ( Fight or Flight) are our inability to sleep, or very disturbed sleep, because our body is on high alert. Our brain is telling our body that we are in danger, so we need to be alert and ready for anything. It also explains the waves of anxiety, panic we experience. And it also explains the emotional overwhelm we feel. The "primitive brain" is in control which means that nothing is calming us and our emotions down, so they are running riot. Our emotions seem to be too powerful to control, and this is exactly right. The Amygdala has hijacked our ability to control our feelings.

This is the first of a 5 part series in explaining the Neuroscience of Grief. If you would like to add any other emotions or symptoms you experienced, please do so-it may just help someone else.

07/11/2025

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11/09/2025

Happy Birthday, Cherri! 🎉💛

I just want to take this moment to thank you, not just for being my life coach, but for being such a constant source of support, understanding, and encouragement in my life. You’ve guided me through challenges and helped me see my strengths even when I doubted myself, and reminded me to keep pushing forward no matter how tough things get.

Your patience, kindness, and wisdom have truly made such a difference for me. You’ve taught me so much, not only about how to grow and work toward my goals, but also about how to be kinder to myself along the way. You’ve believed in me in moments where I struggled to believe in myself, and that’s something I’ll never forget.

Every conversation we’ve had has left me feeling lighter, more inspired, and more capable — and that’s a gift not many people can give. You’ve been such a safe space for me to share, reflect, and learn, and I can’t thank you enough for that.

So today, I just want you to know how deeply grateful I am for you. I hope your birthday is filled with the same warmth, joy, and positivity you bring into my life and the lives of everyone you help. You deserve every bit of celebration, love, and happiness today and always.

Thank you for everything, Cherri for your guidance, your compassion, and your belief in me. I’m so lucky to have you in my corner.

Wishing you the happiest birthday ever! 🎂✨
Love,
Kate

14/04/2025

Below is a photo of a line in the sand. How will we know when to draw a line in the sand when dealing with a difficult person? Why do we hesitate to draw that Boundary?

We need to draw a boundary when our own physical or emotional well being is being impacted by this other person.
Physical-So it may be that you are experiencing physical abuse, or it may just be that you are physically depleted /exhausted, not eating, not sleeping due to the stress of dealing with this person.
Emotional- You may find yourself ruminating about the same things for days on end without coming up with a feasible plan at the end of all of that mental energy being spent. Or you may be unable to concentrate on your work because you are continually being distracted by thoughts of that diffuclt person. Or you may be very tearful, impatient, irritable, and fenerally not a great person to live with.

These are only a few examples -I'm sure you have many of your own "red flags" indicating that you need to draw a line in the sand.

So why don't we? There are so many reasons. I will mention a few.
-We are scared of their reaction to our boundary.
-We fear for our children
-we are scared to disrupt the uneasy truce we are living under
- we honour the relationship eg if it is a parent, and feel it would be disrespectful to draw a line in the sand
-we are frightened by what others may say
-we have no confidence to even think about making this decision

I know you will be able to add to the above lists, speaking from your own experience. Let's shine a little more light on this topic. Pop any ideas you may have in the comments. Let's start talking about this!

08/04/2025

How can 90 seconds help when dealing with a difficult person?

We can never change anyone else, ever! Even if we are very powerful influential people, changing someone else is not within our magical powers. So why do we think we can change the "difficult person's" behaviour? We absolutely can't.

10/08/2024

Knowing how to support someone in their grief can feel impossible. Sign up for my course to learn how to help a loved one on their grief journey with compassion and understanding. Let’s make a difference together ✨

Sign up here for just $47: www.cherriforsythcoaching.com/griefgrowthtransformation/ Or click the link in my bio 💜

09/08/2024

STRIVING TO THRIVE, DESPITE THE LOSS

My course offers hands-on advice to work through your grief, going beyond societal norms. Discover how to strive to thrive despite the loss and learn how to live with loss long term. Sign up today to navigate your grief journey at your own pace with a new, supportive approach ✨

Sign up here for just $47: www.cherriforsythcoaching.com/griefgrowthtransformation/ Or click the link in my bio 💜