Emotional Awareness - Taking Time Out to Stop A Funk

 

Our emotions become upset when we feel our needs aren't met, we may be feeling the need for some quiet time alone or we may crave company and laughter, we might feel the need to rest but are too busy to take a break, we might feel unheard, disregarded or just plain overwhelmed. Whatever the case ,and however you feel there is a way to honour and acknowledge your feelings without feeding them and allowing them to grow into an all encompassing mass.

These five simple steps provide an opportunity for reflection and personal growth, where your feelings are validated but they're viewed in perspective. A negative mood might feel like the only overriding feeling in your life right now, but there's a part of you that knows it won't be next week or next year.

By processing your feelings in a gentle relaxed manner  where you take a step back and observe, you can find balance and recover quickly without zapping yourself or someone you love with a bolt of lightening.

The first step is to name the feeling, identify the exact emotion your feeling right now, be specific and fill in the blank: I feel - what? Angry, sad, hopeless, overwhelmed? pPck one descriptive word for how you feel  and then acknowledge your choice of word - I feel ' x '.

Step two is to find where the feeling lives in your body. Emotions and thoughts have distinct physical sensations, so find where the emotion you identified is making it's presence felt in your body. Take a few deep breaths and sit with that feeling for a few moments,  don't engage with it just watch and witness.

Step three is to allow yourself the luxury of private expression, talk to yourself about how you really feel and listen as though you were listening to a close friend, take a minute or two to fully express yourself. You could have a dialog in your mind, or talk to yourself out loud, or write your feelings on paper or in a journal. Let your full understanding of this emotional situation come to the surface of your awareness now and express it fully.

Step four is to release the emotion with your breath; physical movement is the key to discharging built up - stuck - nervous energy in your body. For this stage of your processing and releasing of this emotion put your full attention on the area where you feel it and begin taking deep active breaths. Breathe in strongly through your nose and then sigh out through your mouth, sit straight and keep focused on breathing into that place where the emotion is held in your body, and as you do you will begin to feel it loosen, lighten and release, keep breathing and keep clearing.

Step five is to acknowledge and appreciate. This concluding step of your emotional clearing ritual encourages you to acknowledge that you've just taken good care of yourself by healthfully processing a negative emotion, you've acknowledged and respected your feelings, you've expressed them fully and you've tried to release them from your system. Now it's time to pat yourself on the back and reward yourself.

What would make you feel good right now? Pick something uplifting, like listening to music, taking a walk, running a warm bath or sipping a cup of tea. Nourish yourself with a few minutes of self care and make a mental note of what you've learnt from this process, so that you can remember to use it again and again as you continue to make healthy choices in balance and growth whatever your day may throw your way.

photo by Anna Gay

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