Now that you have taken inventory on the physical and mental levels of your health, it is time to look at the emotional level of your health. I have always been an emotionally sensitive individual so this is an important level in me to keep balanced. It is useful to evaluate what emotion in you is the predominant one? Most people have an emotional set point- an emotion which they default to when they are feeling out of balance or under more stress. Is might be anger, sadness, hysteria or it might even register as indifference or apathy which is almost a lack of emotion. Get clear on what emotion you default to.
There are a few schools of thought of how to handle overwhelming emotional states. The first one is to feel what you are feeling in the moment and express your emotions. If you feel sadness, allow your tears to flow. Release your emotions and get rid of them so your emotional state can feel neutral once again. If you feel angry, punch a pillow or take a boxing class. Physical exercise can really channel emotions and help them be released. Emotional states can be changed by accessing your creativity. Express your feelings on a canvas letting the paint tell your story. Journal-ling your feeling state can be incredibly cathartic. If you dump your thoughts and feelings onto the page, you can walk away feeling much lighter.
At this time in our evolution we are ascending in our consciousness, so emotional states can feel heightened. The trick is to not react to how we are feeling; it can be helpful to witness the emotional state like a dispassionate observer. Be mindful of your emotional state but do not be consumed by it. One mantra I use repeatedly is ‘this too shall pass’. No emotional state ever stays the same. Finding your center in the midst of emotional chaos can be a challenge but it is not impossible.
My favorite technique to deal with negative emotions is Emotional Freedom Technique. This is a tapping technique that works on Chinese meridians to balance emotional states. Tapping on specific meridians sends a soothing signal to the hind brain (the primitive brain). Tapping helps decrease the stress response. Chinese medicine talks about emotions being linked to different organs- anger is linked to the liver, sadness is linked to the lungs (for example). This tapping technique runs through a sequence of points that are accessed while reciting affirmations; it pairs western psychology with eastern medicine to bring you to a state of emotional contentedness. EFT is my best soul oriented counseling technique. For more information on balancing emotional health, please book in for an Emotional freedom technique session at Parallel Wellness in downtown Calgary.