Feeling all the feels? 10 Emotional Wellness tips
Hello! Happy October!
This month I am excited to continue the wellness conversation by moving into emotional well-being. Now as a licensed professional counselor, talking about emotions is a massive part of my day. The tricky part is that we can't talk about emotions without also looking at the thoughts or beliefs our brain brings to us and the sensations we experience in our body.
They are all interconnected.
The illusion that our thoughts, emotions and bodily sensations are separate (or that one has greater value) contributes to loads of emotional pain. This is why yoga is such a powerful practice for emotional struggles. The word Yoga means “unite,” meaning body, breath, emotions, mind, and spirit are all connected as one.
Here are a few ways to support emotional wellness:
Be curious - When your brain labels an emotion, pause and be curious about how you feel in your body. Peel away the label and notice sensations.
Increase your emotional vocabulary - the more precise you can be in describing your experience, the greater you will be able to communicate clearly and find solutions (if needed).
Shift the “I am” - Instead of “I am sad” try, “I am noticing sadness” -or- “I am experiencing sadness at the moment.”
Marinate - Your brain will naturally pay more attention to unpleasant emotions. When you experience pleasant (and even neutral) emotions or sensations, direct your attention there. Notice what is happening in your body, what you are doing, who you are with, and what is happening in your environment. This will give you information on what contributes to that pleasant feeling, so you can recreate it more frequently.
Become emotionally agile - Being able to experience a range of emotions is healthy and adaptive. Check out this Ted Talk (who doesn’t love a Ted Talk?!) by Psychologist, Susan David.
Do one thing everyday - that brings about joy, playfulness or contentment. Whatever that may be for you. Think of it as an adventure to find those little items, moments, activities and do them more often, on purpose! Last week it was using glitter pens at work for me!
Explore an opposite - When you notice a feeling or emotion, try this. Ask, If this emotion or sensation had an opposite, what would that be? Welcome the opposite and notice what it feels like with all of your senses.
Temporary - Emotions are temporary, even the unpleasant ones. In Spanish, there are two verbs that translate “to be.” One is for permanent qualities (I am American) and the other is to describe temporary states. The temporary “to be” is used for emotions (I am excited/angry/disappointed/content. Remind yourself that the emotion will pass.
Witness - in iRest Yoga Nidra meditation, we talk about the Law of Awareness, that is, ‘What we are willing to be with, without trying to change, modify or get rid of it, we go beyond.’ See what happens when you witness an emotion or sensation without judging or reacting to it.
Consider the message - Emotions are a way of communicating between your body and your brain. When you experience an emotion, ask what it is trying to bring your attention to? -or- What is this telling me I need?