How often do you feel overwhelmed by your emotions?

People often tell me, “I feel SO OVERWHELMED.”

Today, I’d like to talk about how you can engage with this feeling, and empower you on what actions you’d like to take.

BEFORE we get started, here’s an important note:

Feeling overwhelmed is a combination of emotions.

It can be a combination of fear/anxiety, sadness, anger, shame, etc. Sometimes a situation or issue is overwhelming because we have a LOT of differing emotions about it.

#1: The first thing you want to do is observe the emotions you’re feeling. Take an inventory of how you’re feeling, and literally name the feelings.

Notice where you’re feeling your emotions in the body. Notice your hands, shoulders, back, feet, etc.

#2: Next, remember that emotions are not facts.

Emotions are useful because they inspire us to take action – but we DON’T have to take that action.

Write out the actions you’re wanting to take. Are these actions helpful or effective for reaching your goals?

#3: If yes, we can act on the emotion.

If no, we can act opposite to the emotion. This is a skill explored in #DBT, wherein you decide to push against your comfort zone. (Here’s a helpful video on that from @RutgersGSAPP's Jesse F. and @DrShireenRizvi )

I hope this thread was helpful! I’ll be tweeting more about emotions in 2021, specifically labeling emotions by figuring out what you’re feeling and how to change the emotions YOU want to change