Daily PlanIt Emotions 1. Identifying emotions--recognizing and defining feelings is the first step toward managing them. Empathy, the ability to know and understand what others are feeling, enables effective communication and is a major component of success. 2. Understanding emotions--thinking about what feelings mean can make a difference in how we choose to act on them. 3. Managing emotions--with relaxation techniques, conflict resolution, physical exercise, and other methods. 4. Expressing emotions--"I statements allow the sharing of feelings without creating defensiveness.