A healthy lifestyle encompasses a sound body, mind, and spirit. At times, it is hard to keep all three of these elements in synthesis. There are events that can anger and upset you, but this can take a negative toll on your health. Have you ever acted out on an emotion and immediately regretted it because the outcome had a negative effect on you?
The key to emotional balance is to refrain from acting on emotion. Emotions are like small red waving flags that come up and demand full attention. You should never ignore your emotions – that is not the same as observing them. Observing your emotions takes mindfulness and practice. After all, a positive life change will always take some incremental adjustments you must act out regularly. The origin of the word emotion comes from the French language, it means to stir up or agitate. So you can try practicing being still and present to understand and work with your emotions, rather than have them work against you. Here are some simple steps to avoid acting on emotions.
1. Delay your response
You might always be falling into a negative pit based upon your immediate response. Never rush your reaction; it will only be detrimental to you in most scenarios. There are multiple ways to delay your response: take a walk, take a few deep and mindful breaths, simply focus on another task or object.
2. Be mindful of your pains
Are there certain attitudes or types of people that trigger you? Remain mindful when you are in a situation where there are personalities you do not get along with. Find a way to reduce the amount of exposure to the things that cause you to become extremely reactive. It’s perfectly okay to disconnect from people, jobs, and situations that take away your peace.
3. Label your emotions
It is much easier to track and control something when you have a clear idea of what it is and when it can occur. If you find a pattern of disturbances occurring at a certain time or place, label the emotion. It will have less power over you once you enforce your own power. For example, if you wake up and find yourself feeling sad, lazy, or demotivated quite often – label the emotion as M1 or even a silly name. That way you can recognize the pattern and be mindful of your reaction.
