Two weeks ago, I hosted a webinar for Bongarde Media. It’s Mental Illness Awareness Month, so they wanted the topic to be related to mental health. I was delighted to share what I’ve learned about the subject.
Three “thoughts” and related actions have helped me handle negative emotions. Today I’ll explain the first one, “Rise Above It.”
I didn’t make up rise above it, of course. People use it in all kinds of settings, from rising above racism to handling severe pain. In my case, I use it to review and be aware of my emotions objectively.
Instead of running away from anxiety as I used to do, I’ve learned to step away from how I’m feeling and just notice what’s happening. Then I accept it and tell myself: ‘Okay, so I’m afraid right now, my heart’s pounding and my muscles are tense. So I’m going to lay here and notice it for a bit.’
For example, at times, I wake up in a panic, terrified for no reason. If it’s because of a nightmare or some other external factor such as a clap of thunder that sometimes happens to all of us, it’s not a problem. It’s a natural reaction. But when there’s no specific reason for the fear, it could be past trauma or who knows what else that set it off. Since I’ve been “rising above it” and objectively noticing and accepting the emotion, it typically goes away quickly. Often in a moment.
Try it the next time you’re upset. Rather than hating how you feel and wishing the mental pain would go away. Rise Above It.
The second thought I use to quell negative emotions I’ll share in my next blog tomorrow.
