Negative emotions at work are inevitable, but they don’t have to derail your performance or well-being. Many of us default to hiding or ignoring difficult feelings; without the right tools, that can lead to unintended consequences and missed insight.

Advancing the Human Health and Well-Being impact area of U-M’s Look to Michigan vision, this global virtual panel will explore how mental fitness supports career growth. Ethan Kross, renowned U-M professor, international bestselling author of Chatter and Shift, and director of the U-M Mental Fitness Institute — a moonshot effort to reduce global suffering — will be joined by career coach Stacy Kim, author of Envy, to share practical strategies for managing and using negative emotions more effectively.

Using envy as a case study, they’ll show how emotions can reveal what you want, what to pursue, and who to learn from.

Myths we’ll challenge:

There are “good” and “bad” emotions
Avoidance is always toxic, and venting is always helpful
Comparing yourself with others is the problem

You’ll leave with:

Concrete tools and exercises to build mental fitness at work
Strategies for handling emotional “chatter” and relationship curveballs
Greater calm, confidence, and clarity; plus resources to learn more