Hearing “no” during a negotiation can often induce feelings of sadness, rejection, or anger. For example, say your request for a higher salary was rejected by a hiring manager. How would you feel?

• People often perceive negotiations as conversations led by reason, logic, and data. But negotiations, are, in fact, very emotional.
• That said, instead of fearing your emotions, you can use them to become more self-aware and tactical in how you conduct yourself during difficult conversations. You can do this by practicing mindfulness.
• The first step is to become aware of your emotional triggers. Once you know how you’re likely to respond to stressful circumstances, you can better prepare for them and adjust you behaviors.
• Even when you prepare, however, situations are going to catch you off-guard. In such instances, pay attention to your body and try to notice your triggers coming on. You can move away from them by purposefully changing your emotional response. For example, instead of spiraling into negative self-talk, pause, and ask your manager why they rejected your request.