I am not exactly sure how to describe what I am feeling today. What I just saw on Twitter sent a rush of blood to my head. My body is resonating with all kinds of energy. My emotions are complex and not easy to categorize. If you read what I just read, you may be feeling the same way.
Some of us are not feeling our best right now. Either what’s happening to our families and communities or what’s is showing up in our news feed is negatively affecting us.
You could be feeling any or all of these:
Are you sensing that you are about to losing something you value? Your business? Your civil rights? Fear is telling you to protect your self. That fear may be protecting you from something right in front of you or something in your mind It doesn’t matter. That threat is real to you. Maybe you are afraid of losing your spouse. That fear can also show up as jealousy. It’s no wonder that you’re afraid.
Did you see your child or neighbor get hurt? A slight movement from fear can lead toward anger. Any shift toward a more hostile intention could come from any sense that someone or something you love is being threatened. Did a new regulation just pass that affected your livelihood? It makes sense that you’re angry.
Did you say something that shows a side of you that you regret? Have you acted in a way that goes against how you want to be seen? Guilt is tied to your identity and frames the perspective of who you believe you are or can be. Are you avoiding doing something that would have helped you achieve some goal you have? Well, anybody in your situation would feel guilty also.
Lost something? Then sadness is natural. Many of us will feel this grief when we lose a loved one. This disappointment can also come up when we see hope or a dream slipping away. Are you feeling unfulfilled because you can’t experience something that (or someone who) brings thoughts of joy and appreciation? Of course, you’re feeling sadness. It’s perfectly understandable.
Everything we are experiencing right now has a purpose. If you get hit in the head, you would likely think, “next time, duck!”
The same goes for an emotion you find painful, “I don’t want to experience that again.” We may be feeling a variety of different emotions and at varying levels of intensity.
If you are not sure what to do with these emotions, listen to what you’re body is telling you. Sit with these emotions. Feel what you need to feel. When you are ready, listen to your emotions. Emotions are neither good nor bad, only signals to do something. The purpose of physical pain is to create an awareness to act, and the purpose of emotional pain is the same. What can you learn from this emotion you’re feeling right now? What info can I get? What is the emotion telling me to do?