by Eleni Clavijo Adamopoulos
There is an innate superpower we all embody and easing into this knowing will allow seamless emotional execution. Emotions are an essential part of the self in creating your life. We can often feel as though we don’t have control or feel stuck in our circumstances that create perceived undesirable emotions. In accepting that emotions are there as clues, indicators or signs to confidently guide us in our discernment through life, can create a more harmonious inner life. Implementing mindfulness techniques for regulation and remaining present, and feel what our body is trying to communicate to us through the emotions. Mastering your emotions is a truly powerful feeling in navigating through life.
I know both personally and professionally that handling emotions can be challenging. However, it is an inevitable part of life to experience them and learning how to handle them with tools can be empowering.
Here are some ways you can cope with big emotions that arise.
1. Develop a mindfulness practice
Mindfulness is a practice designed to teach us how to be in the present moment. This is great for anxiety because frequently, anxious thoughts will take you out of the present moment and drag you through a lot of hypotheticals about things you can’t control or things that may happen in the future.
2. Grounding techniques
Grounding is a practice that is intended to allow you to connect your body back to earth. It is similar to mindfulness, and uses many of the same skills. When you are focused on your connection to the earth, you are forced to stay in the present moment, just as you are with mindfulness.
3. Don’t take the thoughts provoked by the emotion at their word
Your emotions are telling you that all of those thoughts running through your head are true or realistic, but stop and ask yourself: is that really the case? Ask yourself: Is this thought true? What evidence do I have to support it?
4. Get the thoughts out
When we sit with our emotions, sometimes it builds. Instead, having a healthy outlet for those thoughts can help release them, reducing their power over us and allowing us to move on instead of fixating on them. You can journal your thoughts. Don’t worry about whether the thoughts are true or if your writing makes sense. Just use the journal as a space to expel those thoughts.
5. Move your body
You might not notice your thoughts getting anxious. Instead, you might experience physical symptoms (sweating, headaches, stomachaches, trouble sleeping, difficulty breathing, feeling shaky, etc.) But movement is a simple, easy way to release that tension in the body. It can be as simple as jumping up and down, or turning on some music and dancing.
So remember to give yourself grace as learning to master your emotional being is no easy task!