Surviving Emotional Rollercoasters

Knowing how to keep your emotions in check can keep you from a lot of pain. Every decision made has a direct impact on all areas of your life. When engaging in feelings of anger, sadness, fear, etc, this potentially clouds your thinking and makes you see and feel things in non-objective ways.

We’ve all been in situations where our emotions could get the best of us. For instance, our jobs potentially get us so caught up in the system of things that we let our feelings control our decisions, which could, unfortunately, pull us away from our purpose. I learned to control my daily decisions before my emotions do and to always adopt a strategic mindset when faced with unexpected situations.

Like many people, I had bought into misconceptions about mental health. I thought being strong was the same thing as acting tough. Being strong is not stifling your emotions and ignoring your pain. After all, it takes strength to allow yourself to feel sad, anxious, and scared.

Let me share some typical things I do to keep my emotions intact:

• Schedule a worrying time (30 mins) Journal it or write think bubbles. Then, get back to everyday life.
• Build mental muscles daily by using things such as mindfulness activities, keeping a gratitude list, prayer, meditation, or exercising
• Embrace a little bit of discomfort. The more you expose yourself to uncomfortable feelings but do it healthily. You can gain confidence in your ability to tolerate distress.
• Do things to purposefully boost your mood. For example, deep breaths in and slowly letting breaths out, listening to soft music, lunch with a good friend, or simply smiling.
• Label feelings. This is important to determine if the feeling is positive or negative. All emotions can be helpful sometimes and harmful as well. We must label them so we react accordingly, 

Learning how to regulate your emotions is a key component of mental strength. The stronger you become, the better armed you'll be to face the challenges that will help you reach your utmost potential. 

Work at developing a positive mindset daily. Grab a copy of my book and journal @barnesandnoble.com.

Dr. Stredic, EdD 🦋Author of Metamorphosis Through Life: Quotes and Affirmations (barnesandnoble.com) Facebook (DrLatonyaStredic) Instagram (@DrStredic20) Twitter (@DrStredic) Tik Tok (dr_stredic)