By our internal world I mean in our feelings, emotional state, mental state and belief systems. We are questioning more and experiencing more on a feeling level, and perhaps feeling a bit overwhelmed by it all.
The external world I am referring to is family, friends, career, peer groups, etc… it is the world that we participate in. And depending on what is happening in our internal world we often see a mirror reflection in our external world.
What many of us tend to forget is that our emotions are real, that we will all experience emotions, and that it is normal behaviour.
On any given day we are influenced by the weather, the cycle of the moon, our diet, our sleep (or lack of), physical activity, and stress levels to name a few factors. And each of these factors has the ability to impact us emotionally!
This is not a ‘Good or Bad’ situation it simply is what it is!
It is only when we begin to think about something and label it as ‘good or bad’ that we become impacted by it.
It is our thinking that makes it so, not necessarily the situation.
What if for every challenging situation we are faced with or uncomfortable emotion we experience we ask ourselves the following questions:
“What can I learn from this?”
“What am I being shown?”
“Why am I triggered by …?”
“What am I feeling?”
In this way, you begin to take control of your state of being.
Think with your Heart!
Use your intellect to help you better understand your heart and emotions!
This way you don’t play the victim or the blame game and you don’t project your state of being onto another. You begin to empower yourself!
It takes awareness and honesty on your part but if you truly wish to change and shift your internal state of being this is what is required.
You need to bring ‘light’ to a situation or feeling and work out what is happening. Why is it being shown to you or why has a particular issue, might I say “pattern” shown up again?
Is there a lesson to be learned?
Personally, I view an uncomfortable situation or feeling in this manner. It is an opportunity that I can grow from.
I am able to look at, explore, delve into, resolve, shift, transmute, heal, transform, grow from etc… whatever the feeling or situation is that I am experiencing.
Some helpful hints to navigate emotional upheavals are:
- Focus on your breath. Breathe in an out rhythmically as you bring your attention to your chest. As you inhale and exhale feel the muscles begin to relax and your mind to grow quieter. Do this for a period of 5 -10 minutes to bring more awareness and calm to your state of being.
- Meditate – enrol in a meditation course or perhaps trial an App to learn to meditate. Meditation allows you to build a relationship with your internal world so that you gain more insights and calm.
- Journal- writing down your thoughts helps you gain clarity and releases ‘pent up’ emotions that you may have been holding onto. Better out than in… Write what is frustrating you or what question you may have at the top of the page and then simply begin to write. Write until you have nothing else to say on the matter and then tune in to how you are feeling.
- Exercise – exercise helps you release pent up emotions and releases endorphins that make you feel better.
- Have a bath with Epson salts to relax and release tension from the muscles. Adding some aromatherapy oils will help you unwind also – try lavender.
- Practice kindness to self – don’t beat yourself up, acknowledge you are trying your best and keep taking forward steps as tomorrow is a new day and a new experience.
Instead of hiding from your emotions, denying they exist, blocking them or attempting to push them away realize emotions are a great tool for gaining insight into your life ~ learn to accept that they are part of life and your journey as you embrace and learn from the Emotion Code!
Tami Roos, PhD