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Thursday 27 December 2018

Ways Of Handling Raw Emotions

By Kathleen Myers


Many, if not all, of us have been faced with a challenging situation that appeared to drive us on the edge. Some problems may be solved easily but many more others require help especially if they threaten to severe our treasured relationships. We should not let raw emotions have the better of us. Rather we should recognize these strong thoughts and feelings and take steps towards normalizing them.

Psychologists often use the term emotional flooding to refer to a state of overwhelming emotions. These emotions tend to be overwhelming and come suddenly hence the use of a flooding metaphor. Although the feelings are usually mixed, one of them will predominate. This may be a feeling such as anger, anxiety, sadness or happiness. The predominant emotion often changes over time.

The triggers of deep emotions are varied. They include, for instance, the recalling of past events, the thought or present stressors and worrying about a difficult future. When one gets lost in these thoughts, they recreate traumatic experiences over and over a situation that only makes things worse. One needs to learn how to adapt on how to deflect such negative thoughts.

There are a number of things that can be done to confront the unwanted deep emotions. These include, for instance, the practice of deep belly breathing. This exercise has been shown to be effective in reducing stress and promoting relaxation. The benefit is often in small incremental steps. The general advice is that the practice should be continues as long as the unwanted thoughts are present.

It is important that one understands the exact feelings that they have been confronted with even as they strive to deal with them. Emotional flooding often brings with it a lot of confusion and hence soul searching is needed to identify the exact feelings involved. Acknowledging that there is a problem is the first step in getting a solution. If this is not done, it will result in closed emotional loop likely to make things worse.

Social support is quite useful and helps one in coping with emotional challenges. The unfortunate thing is that many people are hesitant in sharing their problems until It is too late. It is important to open up to at least one confidant who will stand by you in spite of your difficulties. Examples of social support sources will include, for example, close friends, colleagues, relatives and even religious leaders.

Taking a break is necessary for anyone in emotional turmoil. It is important you direct all your efforts to solving this issue so that your mind can be freed to continue with your regular routine. This means that one needs to literally spend some time in a quiet place and contemplate the next decision carefully having considered their situation. In many cases, you will be surprised to learn that you may have overreacted unnecessarily.

Dealing with feelings such as shock, sadness, confusion and anger is not always easy. All these can lead to self destruction if not handled in the right manner. The most important thing is to remember what exactly it is that one is feeling before they can come up with solutions on how to deal with them. Asking for help from a trusted friend or colleague is show of strength rather than weakness.




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