Emotions & Feelings: A Love Story
All of us experience emotions and the ups and downs of life. How we’ve learned to handle them depends on many factors: our learned history, what we’ve learned about ourselves and the world, etc. This is my perspective on managing the emotions and feelings of being human.
It starts with our emotions. Our body reacts to our thoughts or the situation, either negatively or positively. Once we determine that we are safe, we begin to process it. We sit in the discomfort, often alone, in our own minds. Are we being kind to ourselves? Are we treating ourselves the way we would treat a friend? Probably not.
We sit in the discomfort, reviewing what just happened and dealing with it. This can be complicated. Do we have the skills to cope with uncomfortable feelings in a healthy way? How long do we allow ourselves to sit in the murky part? This is up to each one of us to determine.
Personally, I don’t like to sit in the murk for too long. For me, it becomes too much. I want to return to my typical life where I am content, and emotions ebb and flow without holding me down or back from the things that are important to me.
Once we’ve acknowledged our feelings, sat with them, and reflected on them, it’s time to move on. Just like a good love story, this one must come to an end. We have to move on because living in something so powerful is not sustainable. So, what will you do when you come out the other side? How will you merge back into your regular life, one of contentment with ebbs and flows?
For me, I start by doing something that I like. Usually, these are things that also align with my values. This helps me get unstuck from whatever negative thoughts and feelings that are keeping me there. Doing something we like or that is important to us helps us to course-correct and get back to being ourselves.
How does this show up for you? What do you enjoy that aligns with your values and that you can engage in next time you find yourself in those murky waters?
Food for thought.
Be well 💜
