5 tips to gain control of your emotions, reduce stress and CHOOSE HAPPY!
Hey Friends,
Do you scroll Facebook or Instagram and see all the beautiful, curated photos, the influencers decked out in fashion, living a perfect blissful life meanwhile, you’re at home, a hot mess, full of stress, dealing with kids, financial issues, a little bit of a lot of E.V.E.R.Y.T.H.I.N.G. and begin to question your success, maybe even your self worth?
Earlier this week, I attended my own pity party. <Can someone hand me a cupcake please?> It was not pleasant. My emotions were all over the place, they came out of nowhere and I gave in. I compared myself to others and bought into all the distorted reality I saw on social media. I ate every bite of my emotional chocolate cupcake loaded with colorful sprinkles of negativity, shedding tears while tearing the liner off the sides of the cupcake and continuing to feed my negative attitude.
It’s so easy to get sucked in and lose the ability to distinguish reality. So when this happens, what can you do? What did I do? I realized what was happening and I took action and made a choice. I’m sharing what helped me…..so it can help you.
5 tips to gain control of your emotions, reduce stress and CHOOSE HAPPY!
First, when you’re feeling a sense of overwhelm, stress or anxiety, allow yourself to feel and give attention to your feelings. They are real. Validate them and let you’re hot mess self know it’s normal to feel this way at times. Suppressing your feelings is not healthy nor is dwelling on negative emotions. However, allowing yourself time to feel is healthy as long as you keep it in the proper perspective.
For me that meant that I cried and ate my emotional cupcake for about 2 hours and then said to myself, over and over again “I choose to be happy.”.I put those words into action and the rest of the day went off pretty well. You can do ANYTHING with your word.
Second, take a step back for some intentional thoughts. Maybe grab a cup of coffee or hot chocolate. Take a walk. Take a deep breath. Say to yourself “From this point forward, I will be the best version of myself I can be today”. Be reasonable. Reframe your negative emotions to something like, “Even thought “that” didn’t turn out as planned, I am still grateful for…..” and think of five positive things you are grateful for and maybe even insert something you did succeed at. Keep it in the now and keep it simple and keep it positive.
I keep a journal of random thoughts and feelings. It’s just a bunch of gibberish really. However, I put those feelings on paper and get them out of my mind. I close the book and leave them there. I keep another journal where I use those thoughts and draw, paint, collage or write them in an artful way. I reflect on why I felt that way, what led up to that and how I can be better in the future. For creative people, it’s important to be visual. We best connect to our feelings when they’re put into visual form.
Thirdly, realize that what you dwell on will manifest itself in your life. This is also code for a Bible scripture that says “Do not be mislead, Bad associations spoil useful habits” (1 Cor 15:33 NWT). Our associations aren’t always people. They can also be thoughts or anything we surround ourselves with such as entertainment, books, etc. Think how your mind reacts to what you feed it and make sure what you feed it will nourish your mind.
Fourth, Set aside time for prayer, meditation and quiet time. Thank our Creator for all the blessings in our life, even the smallest ones. (A good reason to write them down!) How does meditation help your mind, body and spirit? Studies have shown that meditation helps to improve your memory and concentration, relieve stress and will have an overall positive effect on your health.
Last but not least, create a vision board. In my last post, I shared why it was so important to me to keep a journal of my life. Reading what you have written in the past can help you realize where you’ve been and how far you have come. #SMALLWINS! Creating a vision board will help you visualize where you are now, and where you want to go. Do you want to travel? Do you want to start and own a business? Vision boards are great for keeping you focused on the right track to reach your goals.
This is one of the techniques and exercises we’ll be utilizing in my Surviving to Thriving Course. If you’re tired of simply surviving, going through the emotions of life, having a relationship with stress and anxiety and letting your past get in the way of your future, then this course may be a fit for you. Don’t stand in the way of your future blessings. Schedule your call and let’s chat over coffee. I’ll give you a free 15 minute live consultation. There are only a few spots available for this course as I want to keep it personal. I’m looking for 5 people by Friday. There are many ways I can help you.
Please share your take-away from this post or share with me your positive gratitude moment. I’d love to virtually celebrate with you over real cupcakes.
Sending love,
– Linda