Manage Your Emotions in 5 Easy Ways

I’ve been thinking a lot about our emotions lately

Our emotions are there in every waking moment.  But, they are so much a part of you, do you ever stop to consider how you manage your emotions?  Or, do you tend to shrug them off if they don’t suit you?

Our emotions, or our feelings, are our ‘guiding light’ through this life.  They warn us when we might be about to get hurt and they excite us when something major is happening for the positive.  Although they are super reliable, they are not always convenient.  They force us to sit up and pay attention.  In a world full of ups and downs this is often not welcome and we tend to close ourselves off from our emotions.

Do you hide from your emotions?

You might have seen a post I put up recently on Instagram asking this question.  I think that too often we just ‘don’t want to go there’.  We don’t want to discuss the suggestion to move to another city.  We avoid making that appointment with the Doctor to check out a niggle.  Or, we would rather walk away than have another argument with the kids over who gets to sit in the front seat!  Emotions can be overwhelming and exhausting and sometimes we’d rather just walk away.  

Is walking away the best way to manage the situation?

In some situations it might be the best thing to do, to walk away.  It could be the difference between letting something blow over and having things go so far that there’s no coming back.  Sometimes walking away is the right thing to do.  But, what you need to avoid is letting your emotions stew inside you.  That is unhealthy.  That turns to bitterness, resentment and anger and can start to work like a poison on your heart and soul. There is a fine line that we need to learn to recognize.  We need to learn to assess our emotional state and reel ourselves in when necessary.  Let’s look at some ways to manage our emotions.

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How do we manage our emotions?

There are a few ways that we can learn to manage our emotions better.  There is no ‘one-size-fit-all’ and it is definitely not an overnight fix but if we work towards a goal we can improve our emotional well-being.  Some good ways to help manage your emotions are:

1. Meditation  

I talk about this A LOT.  It has literally changed my life and the way I manage myself and my emotions.  It helps you to centre yourself and find a sense of calm.  Once you have discovered that place it is easier to find your way back to it in emotional situations.  If this is new to you, take your time and ease into a routine and before long you will notice a difference in the way you manage your emotions (and your life!).  Read my blog Top 10 Meditation Tips for Beginners if this is your first time.

2. Mindfulness 

Mindfulness is all about being more aware of yourself and your surroundings.  It is great for putting things into perspective and learning appreciation for what you have.  Also, it is great for helping you to pull yourself back when you recognize a negative emotion.  It can help you stop mid-fight and change course.  Work on being more aware instead of letting the emotion take over.  

3. Breathing 

Breathing deep, slow breaths is a great way to calm your body.  It can help you get yourself back to centre.  It gives you a chance to stop and re-assess.  Once you have calmed your body you will approach the situation in a calmer way.  And, it works like magic!  You will be amazed how quickly you calm down if you stop and focus on your breathing.  You immediately take your mind off what is bothering you and give yourself the ‘mental space’ to put things into perspective.  Works like a charm.

4. Connect with Nature 

This one is perfect to use when you’re in the ‘walk away’ stage.  Get out, get some fresh air and reconnect with nature.  Nature works absolute wonders when it comes to de-stressing.  Be alone with your thoughts for a while and when you go back to face the conflict you will be in a calmer, hopefully more reasonable mindset.  There is nothing worse than letting an argument spiral out of control.  It leaves your emotions in a worse state than they were to start off with.  Know when to walk away!

5. Journaling

Journaling is a great way to work through your emotions on a daily basis so that they don’t become overwhelming.  Read more on my blog Journaling: A Path to Self-Discovery (plus, sign up for my FREE 5 Day Journaling Challenge)

Our emotions are everything, without them we would be empty.  We need them to love and to thrive and to know our true selves, our true desires.  They ‘heat things up’.  It is essential for our happiness that we embrace the good and manage the bad emotions.  Take some time to think about whether or not you have emotions that you are not dealing with.  Most of us do, it’s kind of a human thing.  Try to acknowledge the emotion (sadness, heartbreak, anger etc.) and then work through it.  Decide what it is that you need to do with this emotion.  Do you need to forgive someone for something?  Do you need to stand up for yourself?  It could be something you have been doing to to upset yourself.  Negative self talk brings with it loads of negative emotions.  Recognize the emotion and then take small steps in managing it.

None of us like to feel like we have no control and this can be the reason we shy away from our emotions.  But, we are more in control when we come to terms with how we are feeling, why we are feeling these emotions and how we can manage them better.  Take your first step in the right direction today by acknowledging them instead of hiding from them.

I hope you enjoyed my blog, I’d love it if you would leave a comment!

Be Beautifully Emotional!

Steph x

If you enjoyed this head over and read Mindsets that Hold Us Back 

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