Mindfulness of Emotions
Emotions can be very tough to deal with. There are heavy emotions that everyone has experienced such as sadness, anger, anxiety, grief, embarrassment, stress, remorse. They can be painful, difficult and scary to experience that sometimes people try to run away from their feelings or ignore them. They look for ways to escape the pain such as drugs or alcohol or other reckless behavior. By being mindful of your emotions, you can learn to use your emotions as a guide teach you how to move forward and feeling any kind of emotion will give you strength.
One way to be mindful of your emotions is that when you feel an emotion coming on such as anger, fear, frustration, or anxiety, stop and take a deep breath. These feelings should not be ignored or fought against but should be accepted. Emotions should be acknowledged so that you know that they exist. If you feel an emotion like embarrassment, recognize it and mentally tell yourself that you do, in fact, feel embarrassed.
Another way to be mindful of your emotions is to never deny them and to accept what you are currently feeling. It should be a relief when we feel emotions because that is what makes us human. Feeling emotions make you self-compassionate and responding to your distress is better than punishing yourself for feeling the way you do with dangerous substances. You will become stronger once you embrace your feelings with open arms.
It is important to tell yourself that all emotions are temporary. We can feel happy and then sad or the other way around. They can come, stay for awhile, and then disappear. While it is normal to take negative emotions seriously, it is best to tell yourself that these negative emotions are just passing through. Think of the best way to take care of these emotions.
Once you acknowledge your emotions, think of what brought on that emotion whether it is certain thoughts, worrying about something or someone, or a comment that someone said to you that bothered you. Gain some insight by thinking about how you want to respond to that emotion. One more way to be mindful of emotions is to be open to the outcome that your emotions may bring instead of trying to control them. Be open that you may yell, cry, laugh, or smile. The point is to let them all out.
Castle Craig Hospital is a landmark of addiction and mental health treatment in Scotland, serving the UK, the EU, and patients from all over the world. Our commitment to long term abstinence has created a successful program of clinical and complementary therapies for mind, body, and spirit. Serving over 10,000 patients for more than 25 years, the Castle Craig model is proven in changing lives. Call our 24 hour free confidential phone-line for information: 01721 546 263. From outside the UK please call: +44 808 271 7500
