When faced with overwhelming emotions, consider these strategies to feel better.
DISTRACT YOURSELF 🧩
Emotions stem from thoughts. Engage in pleasant activities to diminish the intensity of emotions. Redirect your focus by tackling simple tasks, tidying up a space, enjoying a hobby, tuning into a podcast, catching an episode of your favourite show, singing, or delving into a puzzle.
CALM YOUR BODY 🧘♂️
Emotions manifest physically from head to toe. Calming the body can often make uncomfortable emotions more bearable. Utilize touch, taste, sound, smell, and sight to enhance your well-being. Indulge in a hot shower, don cosy attire, cuddle with a pet, savour a favourite non-alcoholic beverage, light a scented candle, inhale the post-rain air, immerse in soothing or uplifting music, stroll in a picturesque part of town or a park. Providing solace to your body can soothe your emotions too.
CREATE POSITIVE EMOTIONS 🌈
Altering your emotional response involves generating contrasting emotions. While fear, anger, sadness, and shame are not negative, consistently acting upon them can lead to regrets. When feeling down, seek joyous laughter; when hopeless, absorb an inspiring talk; when angry, perform a small act of kindness; when sombre, groove to upbeat tunes; when fearful, confront your fears head-on. Persistence is key as mastering this skill requires practice.
PUT YOUR BODY FIRST 🍏
Establish a nurturing routine. Anxiety thrives on upheaval and ambiguity. A consistent regimen can make handling challenging emotions more manageable. Prioritize well-balanced meals, maintain a regular sleep schedule, engage in regular physical activity, tend to any health concerns, and steer clear of substances that alter mood.
COPE AHEAD 📝
Prepare for scenarios that might evoke intense emotions. Envision the potentially problematic situation. Anticipate the emotions likely to surface. Mentally visualize yourself managing the situation calmly and aligning with your values. Practice in your mind the effective coping strategies to employ. Rehearse your responses, thoughts, words, and mannerisms.
HEALTHY VENTING / EMOTIONAL DUMPING 💬
Differentiate between healthy venting and emotional dumping. Venting is beneficial, whereas dumping is damaging. Engage in conversations with supportive loved ones to foster connection and a sense of belonging. Avoid repetitive storytelling as it can sustain negative emotions. Share relatable experiences and remember to reciprocate by lending an ear to others. 🌿
Remember to take care of your mental health – it’s okay to not always feel okay! 💙
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