FGF: How to Shift your Emotions Pt. 2
Hey Team FITLV
Happy Feel GOOD Friday team!! Usually I write on a topic separate from WINSday but today I actually want to dive deeper into WINSday's email with a part 2. In case you missed it, you can read it here ⬇️
To summarize, we all have a handful of emotions that fill our "house," otherwise known as our emotional themes. These emotions are the ones most prevalent in our lives and ones we experience more than others.
For some the prevalent emotions may be happiness, optimism, curiosity, anticipation, peace.
For others the emotional theme may be anxiety, anger, stress, depression, sadness.
And for most, a combination of perceived positive and negative emotions. It is important to note that all emotions have a purpose, the goal is not to completely remove all "negative" emotions, rather reevaluate the prevalence of them and find balance and purpose.
Shift Your Emotions!
So let's say you evaluated your emotions after reading part one on Wednesday and you have identified a few emotions you would like to remove, replace, or just minimize. Maybe the you have an overwhelming amount of negative emotions and you aren't yet channeling them for good. Time to dive in to how to shift your emotions:
➡️Self assess: This can mean a few different things as everyones desire and ability to dive in to meditation varies. So let's call this step "assess." Taking some quiet time each morning, before your household wakes up, to read, journal, practice breathwork, meditation- anything that helps you be one with your thoughts and reflect on how you are feeling. Slow down and honor your body and mind. What is going on in there?
➡️Organize: I mean LITERALLY organize. Ever notice that sense of calm you feel when you walk into a fresh, clean hotel room? There is minimal "stuff" laying around and it is really clean. A lot of the "stress, anxious, and irritated" feelings are amplified with a cluttered life. This could mean your car, your home, your office, your kids rooms, the laundry room-any spaces that you frequent or see often. What things in your home are no longer being used or no longer serve you? Can you toss? Donate? Organize? Take on your home one space at a time and see how much clutter you can remove. By removing tangible clutter, you will be adding a layer of clean and calm to your emotions.
➡️Slow down: Saying "YES" to everything can seem like the right thing to do, for your friends, for your kids, for your coworkers or boss. But saying "YES" too often can leave you feeling run down, overwhelmed, and anxious. I know some parents who say yes to everything for their kids. They are in every sport and activity known to man, leaving little free time and little time to just BE. More is not always better. Assess the things you are saying yes to and evaluate if it is REALLY serving them and you or if you are just trying to do the most because you have this made up expectation.
➡️Find balance: Ideally this happens by using the power of "NO." Some of the meaningless tasks, errands, and activities fall off and you restore some balance in your life. I shared this quote the other day, "Never get so busy making a living, that you forget to make a life." Reflecting on your own life for a second- are you busy making a living or are you living your life?
➡️Identify: Do you know what triggers you? Is it a mess? Is it not being prepared? Is it not having a schedule day to day? Ya know the old saying, "The straw that broke the camels back." It wasn't the ACTUAL straw, it was all of the weight of everything leading up to the straw. Let's say you put off prepping your meals, then you hit snooze and missed your morning workout, then you hit every red light so you were late and rushing, then you spilt your coffee...AND EXPLODED!!!!!!!! Had you had your meals, got your workout in, started the day in a calm, organized, and productive manner- you wouldn't have have been rushing and the coffee spill- probably wouldn't have been THAT big of a deal. Figure out what the chain of events that stress you, depress you, or make you super anxious. What are the controllables? Start there. You are allowed to set boundaries with people and things in your life.
➡️Shift your thinking: Shifting your emotions starts with shifting your thinking. Identify what positive emotions you want to feel more of and what negative emotions you want to feel less of. What sort of actions above do you need to implement to achieve that outcome? You have more control over your life and the way you feel day to day than you think.
REMINDER✨
Start your day with gratitude. Begin by breathing into your body and show gratitude for waking to see another day. A gift many don't have. What are three things you're grateful for, right now, in this very moment?
As always, thanks for being here. Thanks for giving me a platform to share my thoughts each week and encouraging me to do so. I appreciate YOU!
