I heard about the concept of being a thermostat instead of a thermometer during a monthly homeschool support group meeting, and I was intrigued. I wanted to set the tone of my home instead of it being controlled by emotions – mine and my children’s.

I printed out reminders the next day to “Be a thermostat, not a thermometer,” and placed them all over the house. When I started to get overwhelmed, upset, or emotional, I would repeat under my breath, “Be a thermostat. Be a thermostat.”

Slowly, I began to see an improvement. I didn’t have to remind myself to manage my emotions as frequently. It was becoming a habit! Friends started to notice and ask how I was able to stay calm and be a thermostat.

I didn’t realize it at the time, but I was developing my emotional intelligence (EQ for short) before it was a buzz word. 😏 I remember the day I heard about emotional intelligence on a coaching podcast, and I thought, “Yes! That’s exactly what I’m doing. I want to learn more!”

As I learned more about emotional intelligence, I discovered that there are tools to help me be a thermostat. I began utilizing the tools and teaching my children and anyone else who would listen how to use them.

I’m so excited that I get to share them with you, too, so you can learn how to be a thermostat and set the tone of your home so your whole family can thrive! You can download the Thermostat Approach Toolkit and learn the three-step framework to manage your emotions instead of letting them control you.

Want to learn more about setting the tone of your home and becoming a thermostat? Here are a collection of podcast episodes and blog posts about developing emotional intelligence and managing your emotions instead of letting them control you.