How To Release Your Negative Emotions So You Feel Empowered to Take Your Life and Work to A New Level!
Negative emotions will block your vision and zap your energy
“There ain’t nothing going to steal my joy.”
Zach Williams
It’s easy to slip into negative feelings if we are not watching out for them.
It would be great if we lived in a world where everyone was nice, friendly, honest, and sincere. But, that’s not how a lot of people are, so when we go out into the world to work or do what we need to do, anything can happen.
Then there’s all the negative news and craziness of social media.
If we do not take charge of this input, before we know it, our emotions will be all over the place.
We need to learn to do an inventory of how we are feeling daily.
When we detox our negative emotions our mood gets better. But the problem is people don’t know how to get rid of negative emotions.
They say, go for therapy or see a shrink, but not everyone has the money for that.
What people need are tools they can use themselves at home.
Self Awareness
If you are reading this now, you already have a good amount of self-awareness.
You are looking for more knowledge on how to live a better life. That’s great!
We must learn to manage our emotions because the negativity is not going away in society, so it’s up to us to maintain our peace.
God is our peace, we know that, but God wants us to use wisdom and knowledge.
So let’s be wise and learn how to be peaceful, happy people despite the darkness all around us.
Don’t get sucked into the negativity.
Make a decision to be different!
Be the salt and light that Jesus called us to be.
How to know if you are out of balance and holding on to negativity
Your reactions - unfortunately, we are going to get triggered by difficult people and situations. The extent of the reaction is a good indicator of the size of the wound. I know people deliberately try to rattle us. There are just mean, bitter, miserable people like that in the world. I know lots of them.
Feeling overwhelmed - this is a sure sign of taking on too much. If you feel overwhelmed, it is crucial to step back or find space every day to calm yourself and prioritize your tasks.
Stress - this is similar, but there is good and bad stress. Some stress helps us to get moving such as a work deadline. Even time-keeping is a form of stress as we shouldn’t show up late for appointments. But bad stress needs to be avoided.
Confusion - when our life is out of balance, we can get confused. Too many appointments, tasks, etc. We need to keep our lives in order, otherwise, we won’t be able to think straight.
Mood changes - stress can lead to negativity. We find ourselves getting annoyed easily.
Insomnia - sometimes we can’t sleep because of the build-up of toxic emotions. If we have unresolved conflict it can be hard to sleep well.
Sickness - if we are holding on to anger, resentment or bitterness, it may manifest as a physical illness. Emotions have to go somewhere and if they don’t come out of us, they go in. This is what’s known as suppressed emotions.
Good mental and emotional self-care practices
Ask yourself regularly how you think and feel.
What is going on in you?
Get a journal and write down the emotions one by one, so you can release them.
Find a way to express your feelings and emotions to get them out of you.
Limit the amount of social media you watch as it will add to your fears
Journaling as a way to release your negative emotions
First, identify your negative feelings or emotions. Then write them down and expand on why you feel that way. Write every detail until you feel the emotion dissipate.
Sentences to get you started in your journal..
I feel angry because…
I feel sad because…
I don’t how I feel, but I have an incident at work …
I hate…. because..
I love ….. because
I like….. because
I don’t like… because
Journaling is one of the most effective ways of releasing negative emotions. If you do this regularly for a few months you will see a shift in your mindset and notice yourself becoming lighter and more relaxed.
Holding on to negative thoughts and emotions makes us tense and anxious.
When you have released the negative emotions onto paper, tear up the paper into a thousand pieces or burn it or throw it in the bin, while telling yourself, I am letting go of that emotion. I am choosing to let it go.
This tells your brain what is happening because we have to train our brain to release negative thoughts and emotions.
After that process, look at positive things
You can write a list of positive affirmations to fill the space that was once filled with your negative emotions.
Then think of all the good things you’d like to do in your future.
Start dreaming and writing out your goals and desires.
We replace the negative emotions with positive ones.
This will put you in a better frame of mind.
Practical self-care habits you can do to relax your mind, body, soul, and spirit
Put your work aside - allocate times of r & r
Turn off anything noisy or negative on social media
Make your environment relaxing by lowering the lights, cooling the room, etc.
Dress in comfortable soft clothing
Take a hot bath or shower
Soak your feet in warm water
Get a message
Do exercise outside or at home
Listen to soft relaxing music or music that helps you release emotions
Maybe you like to sing - that also releases bottled-up emotions
Try art - drawing or painting is very therapeutic
Journaling is effective for releasing anxious thoughts and feelings
Cook a nice meal
Get a good night’s sleep
Drink lots of water
Go back to your hobbies or start a new hobby
—Takeaway
These habits are not new but there is a lot of recent study done on the brain to confirm that by doing these written exercises we are forming new pathways in the brain that once set will change how we do things.
So, if we have subconscious patterns that we have had in place since our childhood, it takes a while to change the way we act. Over time, the brain understands the messages and reorganizes itself.
I remember this theory when I was nursing years ago. With stroke patients, we would do hand exercises with the affected arm of the stroke patients as that would send a message back to the brain to get the movement functioning again. It’s amazing how God designed us.
If you do the exercises mentioned above, your joy will return. Keep journaling until the heavy emotions come out of you.
Thank you for reading!
Have a blessed week. :)
Órla