I Think That I Feel

Emotions are widely acknowledged to be essential in the decision-making process. Without them, you would be considerably less equipped to make many of the choices expected of you on a daily basis. Should you fail to be aware of your emotions and what’s triggering them, however, they can wreak havoc with your capacity for self-deception and exert a powerful force on your behavior.

Allowing yourself to frequently surrender to a rollercoaster of unchecked emotions is one of the quickest ways to drain your energy supplies, which is one of the most important resources you have. I used to feel depleted of energy on a regular basis, until I took a closer look at why I was feeling that way. Incorporating a small amount of exercise into my daily routine, and paying closer attention to the cause of my mood swings, was all it took to reverse much of the negativity I felt and channel it into energy more usefully spent to achieve positive results.

Without being conscious of your emotions, you have no hope of processing and managing your feelings. Achieving this takes a little determination, through understanding the complex interplay human emotions, and why some feelings tend to consistently triumph over others. These perceptions will make you feel encouraged to overcome ingrained but harmful behavioral patterns, and grateful that you are able to do a GudeJob in this respect! Gratitude, understanding, determination, and enthusiasm are the name of the game.

Process Your Feelings

There are numerous tried and tested techniques to help you process your feelings so that when obstacles, challenges and temptations arise, you have a better chance of fending off any negativity. Conquering these habits is one of the keys to succeeding in anything you do, and being happy in the process.

1. Observe and Be Curious

• Get into the habit of recognizing and labeling your emotions internally. Sometimes the simple act of acknowledging that you’re feeling ‘confused’, ‘upset’, ‘fed up’ or ‘irritated’ can be the catalyst you need to deal with said emotions.
• Avoid simply accepting your emotions without questioning them. If you’re feeling down or frustrated, try to identify the cause—only then will you be able to work on resolving the underlying root issue.
• If nothing seems to account for your negative feelings, ask yourself whether you’re getting enough sleep. At the neural level, sleep can never be underestimated in terms of the vital role it plays in cognitive and emotional processes.

2. Think First, React Second

• Gather your thoughts, think about it, and take a deep breath before allowing yourself to overreact to a challenging situation.
• Aim for a measured response; refusing to let your emotions get the better of you will always glean a more constructive outcome in the long run.
• Don’t be afraid to confront bigger issues. It may seem logical to associate your bad temper with the glass of orange juice you just spilled over your new shirt, but the chances are its origins lie in something more fundamental.
• Avoid always resorting to the same negative response mechanisms in testing times. Reconfiguring this autopilot function is easier than you might think, as long as you’re aware of its operation.

3. Avoid Suppressing Your Emotions

• Battling on in blind denial about your emotions can have a devastating impact on your mental wellbeing, so avoiding this at all costs.
• Understand that a negative emotional response is usually your body’s way of telling you that it’s not happy with the status quo. Listen and respond accordingly.
• Instead of burying inconvenient feelings, learn from them, and work on converting them into a productive outlet for your energy.

4. Remind Yourself That Nobody’s Perfect

• Recognize that everybody goes through low times and experiences negativity. Being less critical of yourself during pessimistic moments goes a long way toward dispelling these feelings.
• If you feel unable to take a firm hold of your emotions when you need to, don’t suffer in silence. Voice your concerns to trusted friends and family – a problem shared is a problem halved, and they may well have constructive insights of their own to share.

Trust the Process

Remember that life’s trials and tribulations are part of the fabric of a stimulating existence. Everybody has a different threshold when it comes to coping with the range of emotions required to deal with these ordeals. Some people are naturally patient but hopeless at overcoming their nerves. Others might be quick to blame themselves but slow to admit defeat. Reflecting on where your emotions fit in the grander scheme of things is an invaluable way to gain a certain clarity on your life, and the reasons for your actions. In fact, your productivity and happiness will largely depend on it.