How do you shift, when you feel stuck in low emotions?
Before anything else you should know what are the “Low Emotions”.
Here’s a diagram with the spiral of emotions: ascending and descending emotions. That will help you identify those little big devils.
One thing you should be aware of is that the elevated emotions put you in an enabling state. Low emotions put you in a disabling state.
Now the question remains: what are enabling or disabling states?
What are enabling and disabling states?
In short: enabling states are those that make you feel happy, fulfilled, productive.
Disabling states are those that suck out your energy, you feel no “anima”, you feel drained, no mood or motivation to do…whatever.
Example? Here’s an example:
You know those days, (you’ve had those days) when everything goes well, you’re productive, you do what you set out to do, and, quite frankly: you did it damn well!
What is behind these behaviors? Are the enabling states.
And those other days that: OMG “everything happens to me”? Those days when everything seems to go wrong, you don’t get it done, or it’s imperfect or incomplete?
What is behind the evident ”consequences”? One or more disabling states.
The first ones allow you to create, to function more efficiently.
The second one? Allows what has already been said.
The Important here is to retain this: the more we get hold of our states, the more we have domain upon our behavior and its consequences.
Now, the million dollar question: how do you shift? How to make the emotional transition?
How do you shift? From Low Emotions to Elevated Emotions
How do you shift from a state without resources (disabling emotional resources, where you can’t find solutions, where you can only see the problems)? To a state with resources, where you can see clearly and focus on solutions, you feel self-confident?
Personal Outburst
Two days ago I woke very well with myself. Basically happy. The morning went just fine, as I planned. But then, by sunset ( and it wasn’t the sunset by itself because it simply amazes me) I started feeling sadness, along with some frustration. I didn’t know what time it was started: just came. An uncomfortable stomach indisposition rose along with those bad feelings. Felt like anxiety was starting to uprise.
From me to me, conversations in the dark: where dit it came from? Why the hell I feel like this? Then started the conversation with myself. It came from small little thoughts over the “I don’t have” and they were just building the (negative ) compound effect. I was focusing on the “don’t have”.
As soon as I realized that fact, I took a few long breaths. That, solely, released the tension from the abdomen. And then I started thinking: how do I shift this?
How do you shift this?
- Be comfortable with your dark side: recognize it, give it value, embrace it.
- It’s important that you develop intimacy with yourself, with those disabling feelings: acknowledge them.
- Get the habit to observe your thoughts. That’s how you develop that intimacy with yourself. Just observe. Without denying, without camouflaging it. Take it as it is.
Meditation is a tremendous tool for this. Just sit there and get used to observing what you’re thinking: not controlling them, not re-living or getting emotional, or anything like that.
Just observe what you’re thinking like an outsider. If you frequently meditate, in time, it becomes easier to understand what are the specific thoughts that trigger your disabling feelings.
- Realize your ”now” in life: be grateful for the good things you have. Big or little. Gratefulness makes wonders.
- Remind yourself of the Big Picture, your Big Goal. So that your next steps to get out of that downward spiral are towards that thing you aim for, that thing you want to accomplish. And not just some random, impulsive reaction to run away from your own devils.
If you get the habit of bringing to light what is hidden, bring from the unconscious mind to the conscious mind… What is not hidden can no longer cause damage. Or at least you can take an action in neutralizing it.
You’ll be training yourself to diminish the auto-pilot behavior/responses: because you’re bringing them to your conscious mind. And you know where (what thoughts) it comes from.
If you don’t see them coming: It might be challenging to reverse those disabling estates of emotion. They compound because one negative emotion leads to another, and another. And then the auto-pilot takes over and you just react the same ways you used to. No matter what that is.
Ok: auto-pilot is good if the results in your life are good. But when the results damage you then, something must be done.
It starts with taking charge of your thoughts: so they can reflect on your conscient choices, actions, decisions.
Everybody has ups and downs. Everybody experiences low and elevated emotions.
The question is: how long are you going to stay on the low ones when they come?
Self-knowledge is a great helper. Self-development is a great tool.
Take some time to invest in yourself. Whether is self-taught or professional help.
