Creating Space for Our Feelings
When we experience high stress, it’s common to tighten around our uncomfortable feelings. We tense, as if we’re struggling, because our emotions affect us just as much physically as they do mentally. When we notice ourselves tensing up, we can remember to make room for our uncomfortable feeling by breathing mindfully. When we inhale, we acknowledge our feelings. As we exhale, we are nonreactive and observant. When we embrace our feelings and care for them in this tender way, we have power over our reactions. We can free ourselves from challenging feelings when we don't fight against them, allowing those feelings to be present, knowing they will change soon. Investigate your feelings instead of resisting them.
I welcome my feeling.
I create space for my feeling.
I offer compassion to my feeling.
I create space for my feeling.
I offer compassion to my feeling.
Pay attention to how your body feels.
What insight about yourself can you gain from honestly tapping into your feelings right now, in this moment?
What insight about yourself can you gain from honestly tapping into your feelings right now, in this moment?
List of Commonly Felt Emotions
When we can describe how we're feeling, it not only helps those around us to best support and encourage us, but it helps us understand what we need to balance our emotions. Use this list to deepen and balance your understanding of your own incredible range of emotions.
Your browser does not support viewing this document. Click here to download the document.
Do you notice you respond to certain emotions from this list more intensely than others?
What thoughts, images, or ideas come to your mind as you read each emotion? Look into your responses for insight about your current mindset.
What thoughts, images, or ideas come to your mind as you read each emotion? Look into your responses for insight about your current mindset.
Deepen Your Understanding: When we understand our emotions, we can navigate unpleasant feelings by shifting to positive, renewing emotions. We can rank our emotions on an Emotional Scale to determine which are most preferable to least preferable. Learn how to spiral up towards good feelings instead of spiraling down into a negative mindset.
Emotional Introspection
We're complex creatures with an unbelievably wide array of emotional diversity! We can feel many different --even conflicting-- emotions at the same time. As we grow, we expand into our personalities and explore how we fit into the world around us. Our interests, our hobbies, our challenges, our ambitions, our relationships; there are endless stimuli for feelings of both wellbeing and ill-being. We do experience a great amount of positive emotions, it just can seem as though the negative ones are ten times more memorable!
Let’s take a moment to acknowledge some positive emotions we have probably experienced recently while alone, or with friends, family members, coworkers, teachers, or other significant people in our lives:
Let’s take a moment to acknowledge some positive emotions we have probably experienced recently while alone, or with friends, family members, coworkers, teachers, or other significant people in our lives:
|
Cheerfulness
Contentment Confidence Delight Enthusiasm Excitement Happiness Hope Joyousness Love Pride Satisfaction Strength |
1. What do you feel when you think of times where you’ve felt these emotions?
2. Can you describe them with a color or in a certain place in your body? 3. If you can’t put them into words, draw a picture (don’t worry about anyone seeing it!) 4. What positive emotions can you think of that aren’t listed above? If you’re feeling really unfamiliar or very disconnected with any of these emotions, don’t worry! We can take action in this present moment to experience these feelings more frequently and deeply.
|
While we’re full of appreciation for our experience with positive sensations, we can gently look into our past to observe what negative emotions we have experienced, both alone and with our peers:
|
Anger
Anxiety Boredom Disappointment Disgust Embarrassment Envy Foolishness Fear Guilt Hysteria Loneliness Sadness Regret |
1. What do you feel when you think of times where you’ve felt these emotions?
2. Can you describe them with a color or in a certain place in your body? 3. If you can’t put them into words, draw a picture (don’t worry about anyone seeing it!) 4. What negative emotions can you think of that aren’t listed above? If you’re feeling presently overwhelmed or distressed by any of these emotions, don’t worry! We can breathe evenly and acknowledge we're safe and well in this present moment to relieve any of these feelings quickly and effectively.
Inhale 1-2-3-4, then exhale 1-2-3-4-5. Repeat until emotional wellness is restored. |
Deepen Your Understanding: Our emotions are the leading factor behind our stress. All stress is emotional, ranging from emotional unease to intense emotional turbulence. When we're self-aware enough to notice the symptoms of our strong emotions as they arise inside of us, we can quickly soothe them before they get overwhelming.