Purpose: This introduction sets the stage for the book theme, “Emotions and Negativity”, by reviewing the early work on negative emotions and by discussing the impact of the Covid pandemic on people’s moods and emotions. It discusses how most of the chapters in this book were first presented as conference papers at the Twelfth International Conference on Emotions and Worklife (“Emonet XII”). It then highlights to the key contributions from each of the chapters.

Study design/methodology/approach: This gives the overview organizational structure of the book and explains the 4 major parts of the book. It then relates each chapter to the theme of each part and discusses the key contributions of each chapter.

Findings: The introduction concludes by observing that the chapters offer a variety of practical solutions to negative emotions that should be of use to both practitioners and academicians.

Originality/value: The chapters investigate under-researched topics, and thus make original and important new contributions. Although under-researched, the topics they explore have a major impact on people’s lives. Thus, these chapters add considerable value to the field.