Responding to Emotions

Introduction
People tend to talk more about symptoms or behaviours than emotions.
However, need to be able to embrace your emotions
"...to understand, express, share, release and accept these difficult feelings..."
Indige, 2024
Aa all emotions are essential, you need to be careful of judging them as 'good or bad', 'positive or negative'. This judging results in people trying to avoid  certain emotions, rather than working with them. Emotions provide important information that you need to act on.
Some example,
- anger is important in change
"...anger has do with all of the important human rights movements throughout history - like abolishing slavery, women's rights, and freedom of speech..."
Indige, 2024
- fear as a basis you to be able to keep yourself safe when in danger
Separate emotions from responses
Sometimes when people get angry it can lead to violence; need to separate the violence from the anger by realising that violence is only one of many possible responses to anger and is not the same thing as anger.
Changing the way you respond to the emotions (8)
This takes time and is not easy as it involves learning new self-awareness, you habits that need continual practice; some helpful steps
i) don't suppress your emotions (the more you suppress them the more they reappear in new and distressing ways)
ii) record what emotions you are feeling and when (keep a journal to develop a new perspective)
iii) listen to the message behind your emotions (there are always reasons behind your feelings; sometimes this can be difficult to acknowledge)
iv) address the issues behind your emotions (remember
"...denial does not work, feeling sorry for yourselves makes it worse. Getting into 'problem-solving mode' can really help..."
Indige, 2024
v) focus to responding and resolving the message behind the emotions (understand how it impacts on your mind and body)
vi) if required, be willing to change in your response (just because you responded a certain way in the past, does not mean that you respond the same wayin the future)
vii) get support (get help from somebody(ies) who you trust and respect; it can make all the difference)
viii) never give up (show resilience, persistence and grit)