Emotions are not just in our minds. We carry emotions in our bodies. No-brainer, right? Before I continue, I want to address a question I got about the practices I write about here. Obviously, I will not claim that any of these will magically have anyone recover from mental health challenges. However, we also know […]
Tag: emotions
Expressive Writing to Release Emotions
A while ago one of our members told me about a writing practice she does and I thought I’d give it a try. It’s called Expressive Writing and the purpose is to get thoughts and emotions out of our psyche and get a sense of separation from them. This is what she suggested: Pick a […]
Emotions and Your Body
Think, feel. Feel, think. I’m sure you’ve noticed that when you have an emotion you feel it somewhere in your body. For example, if you’re angry you might feel tension in your jaw. If you’re sad you might feel it in your heart area. Science has shown that there is a mind/body connection. So, how […]
Can You Learn Resilience?
Have you ever had anyone tell you to pull yourself up from your bootstraps, to grit and force your way through? While having determination can be a helpful trait and sometimes even suck-it-up-buttercup can be useful in certain situations, these traits should not be your only tools. If you wanted to build something you wouldn’t […]
Should You Believe Your Emotions?
Recently, I’ve been experiencing what I would label depression. It’s been really uncomfortable and I noticed other emotions like powerlessness, despair, and hopelessness. As experienced as I am with navigating my thoughts and emotions, this sense of depression had me entertaining thoughts such as, “what’s wrong with me, I should be doing better than this, […]
Dear Diary…Why am I Suffering Today?
Hmmm…let’s see! I feel exhausted. Lyme symptoms are flaring. My son is depressed. My mini fridge is empty except for a few eggs. I could go on and on. But…BUT! Thanks to the skills I learned and implement here’s where I go with all this so I don’t create more suffering: I feel exhausted. Well, […]
Emotions: Why We Need Them
Can you imagine not feeling pain? It might seem like a great thing, but what would warn you of harm? How would you know not to put your hand on a hot stove, for example? Well, we need emotions to give us important information. In a previous blog we talked about the concept of “good” […]
Do You Judge Yourself for Your Emotions?
Emotions…good or bad. Do you try to convince yourself that you shouldn’t be feeling the way you do, or you should just suck it up? Some of us have been taught it’s not ok to feel certain feelings. You know, it’s not possible to be constantly positive. There’s nothing wrong with positivity, but if we […]
Naming Your Emotions Helps Tame Your Emotions
Do you know how you feel? Do you know what it is you feel? In this blog let’s look at the benefits of learning to name your emotions. Oftentimes, we can be reactive, responding on impulse when we have a feeling. If we don’t know what it is or where it comes from we behave […]
Processing Emotions
How do you process your emotions? Do you try to ignore or push them away, maybe you talk to someone about how you feel (usually this can show up as venting), or do you sit down with your favorite comfort food? These might provide immediate relief or distraction, but in the long-term they probably didn’t […]