Would You Like to Master Strong Emotions?

“Feelings come and go like clouds in a windy sky.
Conscious breathing is my anchor.”
~Thich Nhat Hahn

​Starting over again, whether it be with a new job, a new city, or being with or without someone we love, can make us feel overwhelmed with emotion. Hopefully when you combine what you have learned so far—living from your heart space, living in the present moment, and having a loving relationship with yourself—there is good news: your ability to stay on top of your emotions has increased! Managing your emotions is the gateway to personal freedom and empowerment. Therefore you will also have clarity of thought, mind and heart.

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Frequently, transitions can leave us feeling disconnected from our hearts or bodies so we don’t feel such sensations as hunger or discomfort. We’ve conditioned ourselves away from being self-aware. We use work as an excuse to keep going and ignore the emotions rising from our transition. It’s easier to take care of others and their problems so we focus on them and what they are feeling. The moods of our friends and family are prioritized over our own. Soon we have completely lost ourselves because all we are aware of is how the person we live with, for example, is feeling. So it’s simply a matter of turning on the light switch again and becoming conscious of your feelings. You’ve already begun this process by taking action—practicing hand over your heart and tuning into your breath. Now, you can maintain self-awareness of your emotions.

However, you won’t be able to realize your opportunities to manage your emotions if you aren’t aware of your feelings first.Maybe it's difficult to bring all of your attention to the present because you are overcome with emotion and doesn’t feel like you have the ability to deal with them?

“My own approach has always been to push intense emotions down and attempt to 
​deal with them later.” ~ Alanis Morissette (Singer, Songwriter)

Increase Your Emotional Awareness 
Once you have conscious awareness of your thoughts and feelings, you can begin to manage your emotions. Having this awareness prepares you to check in with how you are feeling. Be aware when you have your conversations with others. Listen to your body and how it responds to people or situations. These are opportunities to be self-aware, inviting you to practice self-care during this time of transition. Simply observe and take note of where you stand with this. 

Begin to consider to what degree your feeling awareness ranges:

Are you aware of your feelings on a daily basis?

How about on an hourly basis?

Do you know when you are hungry or do you not realize it until your stomach growls?

Can you tell when you feel tired while talking to a friend?

Are you aware of your choice to change your plans if you’re not feeling up to it?

​When you make decisions, do you “feel it out?”

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