A motley of emotions oftentimes come knocking on our door on a regular basis. For example, one moment you may be excited and celebrating, and the next moment perhaps you feel negative energy come to you. Our emotions can change as quickly as the wind blows.
Have you ever noticed your own emotions shifting as such?
Some days we are sad, lonely, anxious, disappointed and fearful. Other days or moments we may experience joy, happiness, surprise and pride. Of course, there are many different emotions that come to us or through us. However, it is the emotions that we give our power to that deeply affect us.
Do you give more energy to the negative emotions or the uncomfortable ones? These can be just as fleeting as the positive emotions; however, it usually feels different, right? Why is that?
We often give more power to our negative emotions. We tend to analyze the negative or be hyper-focused on the negative that we disallow ourselves from engaging in the positive emotions and moments that we experience. However, it does not help to feel down when you feel down, does it? SO, just as you accept positive emotions and feelings to ebb and flow freely through you, let’s try to offer ourselves the same courtesy for feelings that are more negative in nature.
We must find it in ourselves to accept the vulnerabilities of being human—the good and the bad.
Developing a practice that allows you to feel both positive and negative emotions freely and with the same grace can be powerful. We are human beings—part of being human is to feel. How often do you sit with your feelings, acknowledge them, and allow them to pass through you? Perhaps you have a conversation with these feelings, allowing yourself to see what is deeply behind that emotion or an opposite reaction to such an emotion.
Back in the day, there have been so many times in which I have pushed emotions down and regretted it when they all came to the surface at once and felt like a volcano erupting. This is not healthy for us and is actually quite painful.
The ebb and flow of feelings provides us with a great model. Our emotions are constantly rising and falling. We are human. We are in fluctuation.
Emotions play a critical role in how we live our lives, engage with others, and engage with the world. Additionally, they play a role in our day-to-day decision-making.
Here, I outline methods that I use to allow myself to feel, process, and move forward with my emotions.
• Allow yourself the space to process.
• Sit quietly when you can and offer your emotion a cup of tea. Share a peaceful moment acknowledging that they are here for you.
• Name it to tame it. Often the naming of an emotion can help lighten its emotional burden.
• Express it on paper. Get out your journal and write.
• Try to discern what the emotion is sharing with you, teaching you or offering you. Why is it here?
• Share with another trusted individual that will help you process what you are feeling.
These are some of the techniques that work for me in allowing the ebbs and flows in my life. I would love to hear what works for you.