Step 1: Getting a Healthy Distance from Your Emotions
One of the first steps is to learn to distinguish yourself from your emotions is to make this subtle yet powerful shift:
“I am feeling agitated,” instead of “I am agitated.”
“I am feeling so overwhelmed,” instead of “I am so overwhelmed.”
This may sound like semantics, but it’s not. It’s a small move with big implications.
You probably already know this is true when you stop to think about it… When you’re done feeling agitated, you’re not done being you. You are more than the emotions that come and go. We just say “I am happy” or “I am mad” because that’s just the usual way we say it in English.
This may feel like no big deal when it’s an easy-day kind of emotion. The problem, though, is when big, uncomfortable, or GIANT and uncomfortable emotions are coming up. We may try to keep them below that lump in our throat or not look at them in the eye in part because somewhere deep down, we fear that we are them in some way and/or will be consumed by them.
One step of freedom comes when we can make the switch to becoming more conscious that our emotions are a passing feeling, not who we are.
Let’s celebrate such a simple step on this one!
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