Thursday, November 12, 2015

Emotional First Aid: What's Yours?

“The more distractions we have from which to choose, the more effectively we will be able to derail the ruminative train of thoughts that plague us.” 
― Guy WinchEmotional First Aid: Practical Strategies for Treating Failure, Rejection, Guilt, and Other EverydayPsychological Injuries

I have a slight Ted Talk addiction. Ted Talks never cease to fascinate me! They send me off wanting to learn more about a new topic or go deeper into something I thought I knew about. I watched this phenomenal and funny talk by Guy Winch this weekend. Here it is:


What do you do to help you when you aren't feeling your best? Do you have a technique that transforms how you feel about situations, memories you replay that bother you, and the meanings you give to them? Or do you have a series of ways you avoid your feelings and distract yourself? Or do you just get stuck, replaying what you don't want, feeling worse and worse with no idea how to fix it?

I have embraced all of the above at one time or another. Avoiding is a temporary false haven, because, as I learned long ago, wherever you go, there you are. My attitude goes with me. When I choose to avoid how I feel, it gets worse. When I entertain the bad thoughts, I get even better at having them, finding more and more proof to feel bad. That doesn't work too well either.

Now, I tap until my attitude, meanings and memories shift to an empowered and positive frame. I practice affirmations in a way that works. Attached is a video I made today to show you how I do just that.



Tapping helps you create changes in your emotional state by interrupting the feedback loop between your mind and your body. What you think you feel. The feelings make the thoughts and memories seem as if they are happening in the present moment. As you interrupt those negative states until they no longer have an impact you free yourself from repeating the pattern. The past is over, you are not stuck, and you no longer have to feel that way anymore. You are free to see events from a different and more empowered perspective.

Do you have a technique that helps you transform your emotional lows into highs? Share in the comments!


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