Those Sneaky Little Emotions
Isn’t it interesting how, what feels like out of nowhere and for no reason, we can begin to feel restless, unsettled and maybe even anxious? This was my experience this past Saturday morning. Looking forward to some time with my kiddos, knowing we were doing some “door dash deliveries of goodies” and distanced visits with family, I expected to feel energetic and happy. I awoke, after not the best sleep, feeling off. As sleep is one of the Pillars of Self-Care I chat about often, I was suspicious that today might be a “funny” day, based on my lack of sleep.
My usual Saturday morning starts with a few hours of work (small business owners, you get it…..everyday is a Tuesday), and by the way, I LOVE my work, so this usually sets a positive tone for the day since I feel fulfilled after creating and connecting to serve.
BUT, this Saturday was different. Anyone else noticing that out of nowhere, and for no apparent reason, your emotions come and swat you in the head?
Let me pause and say how silly of me it is to feel like there’s “no good reason for my upside down emotions”. We are heading into week 8 of isolation for heaven’s sake. Of course our emotions are all over the place at times. And if you’re supporting others through this time, and your an empath, this can hit you hard.
So what’s the lesson here? Those of you who know me well, know that I fully believe that there is a lesson in every experience, AND the difference maker in life is taking action according to the lessons we learn.
Here are the lessons I wish to share today:
-recognize your emotions without judgement. I could feel something was off the moment I woke on Saturday and began to look at things with interest, for example, noticing the restlessness I felt as I began to write a blog article. The words just weren’t flowing well, and I chose to shut off my computer. No judgement. I just knew it wasn’t going to happen in the healthy way I wanted.
-make a decision. You are in charge of how you manage your emotions. Are you going to lean in to the restlessness and begin a downward spiral, adding to the negative emotion? Having recognized that my negative emotions were heightened, I turned to my Pillars of Self-care. More on that soon.
-act on the decision that you have made, taking the path that is going to best serve you and those around you. (Spoiler alert: leaning into the negativity is likely not going to best serve).
-find your support. Yes, we are responsible for, and in control of, what we do with the emotions we experience. And sometimes its really hard to process. Identify who you can lean on. Not everyone gets it though right? Find those who do, and lean on them. If they get, they’ll be happy to support you. For me, that’s leaning on my husband, my mom and dad, a dear friend of mine and my coach when I am feeling stuck. I would be honoured to be part of your support network, so please reach out if I can help.
About 2 years ago, I would have leaned into that emotion, adding to the restlessness and anxiety. Now, after this wild journey of life change I embarked on about 18 months ago, the shift in mindset to recognize and decide to take a different emotional path is life changing. And YES, there are days I absolutely still get it wrong, BUT I recognize those days, and add it to the experience that will help me choose better next time.
So, what did Saturday end up looking like? Not as much work got done in the morning as I would have wished. And I am okay with that. After recognizing how unsettled I was feeling, I shifted my day, using the Pillars of Self-Care. I had an intense workout, and shifted more quickly to time with kiddos and visiting family. And its interesting that the emotions shifted as the day went on, but still lingered on Sunday. So, Sunday brought the admission to those around me that I was still feeling kind of “funky”, and instead of pushing through my ever present to-do list, I chose a long walk, a good book and a few hours digging in the garden which made all the difference.
I encourage you to be kind to yourself. Recognize when you’re not able to engage in the tasks that you thought you’d knock off the list with ease. Take time to prioritize your care, always, and especially right now. This is hard, and weird and uncertain. And many people are doing just fine, and that’s okay too. We’re all in this together and I wish you health, happiness and peace.
In kindness and in health,
Deanna