Are you like me burnt out and fed up, at times feeling disconnected from the wider world? Do you find your emotions swinging rapidly from anger to fear, from sadness to elation?
This is not a normal situation we currently find ourselves in and it’s understandable we are experiencing unpredictable mood swings. We all react to crisis in different ways and this hugely disruptive, sudden change to our daily lives is going to have a massive emotional impact on many of us.
Some people may be experiencing anxiety or particularly low moods around the current situation, especially with extra worries around job security, health and financial issues. These are normal responses to what is for many a very difficult time.
It’s important to talk through and share your troubles whether with a friend, family member or counsellor. It can help to release tension and see things from a different perspective.
Accepting not suppressing negative emotion is part of what it means to be resilient. And like an upward spiral the more positive emotions we begin to experience the greater our resilience becomes.
It’s what empowers us to accept and adapt to situations. So rather than hoping for a quick recovery, we need the patience to do the little things that make us feel a little better and to keep doing them.
Self Care
In order to protect and support our mental health we need to connect with activities that make us feel good. If we can first start to look after our own well-being then we are in a better position to help others. The more positive emotions we have, the more we can build up a well of positivity which can be accessed in times of adversity.
Time spent on exercise, hobbies and meditation tends to bring positive emotions, so it matters that we dedicate time in our day to them.
Any mood boosting experiences can reduce stress and improve sleep, laughter after all is the best medicine. Read a few pages of a funny book, you can access so many free books by mail, watch a good comedy or just phone a friend who makes you feel good!
Laughter stimulates your heart, lungs and muscles, releases feel-good endorphins and brings our mind and body back into balance.
Self Validation
Our beliefs and thoughts shape the way we behave and challenging our thinking will give us a different perspective Making healthy choices in our life can make us feel emotionally stronger and by doing something positive for ourselves we can start to lift our self-esteem.
It’s important to treat ourselves as we would a valued friend so we need to practice positive self-talk. It’s about treating ourselves with kindness and compassion. After all it’s our internal dialogue that frames our reactions to life and it’s circumstances.
With gratitude and appreciation we can focus on progress, positivity and creating value. Feeling plentiful can be inspiring. There is something very special about gratitude, it can make us feel as if we are experiencing a new layer of life, it is the starting point of anything and may be the secret to our happiness.
Instead of being consumed with negativity we need to aim to keep a positive perspective, be creative and find gratitude in the moment. In life it is important to look for the kinds of experiences that bring us joy.