Space for emotions

Emotions have important functions in our daily life. They help us in communicating with others, motivate our behavior and inform us about ourselves. We can think of sadness, an emotion that we all feel. She can visit us when goals are not achieved or when we lose someone. It helps us maintain attention to what we value, seeking to achieve our goals and communicate that we need help.

So far, perfect. We know that emotions exist and for them to serve. But do we give space to meet them in our day-to-day life and know how they happen in the experiences we live?

Throughout our lives, we create barriers that distance us from the valuable information of our emotions. We can be allianced with the idea that it is possible to control all emotions only with our motivation and determination. Or even judge a feeling like something that should not be felt.

There is a very common reaction: when we identify the emergence of an unpleasant emotion, we can think that it is bad and destructive. That feel it is to be out of control. Or still think: 'I'll be weak if anyone realizes'.

To help us question these beliefs about emotions, take our attention to the environment and observe the facts that are occurring, an important step is to evaluate which of these thoughts do sense for experience and which we can abandon. We will see what our emotion is informing, observing it in a curious way.

So we can decrease our speaking and judging mind and we get attention to our emotions. A closest contact, a place to feel.

Returning to the emotion of sadness, how can we realize your presence? Low energy, demotivation and disinterest in chatting can be some indicatives.

Still, do not forget there are nice emotions! How is it for you to feel love? Do you remember a moment to allow yourself to connect to this emotion, see what she is saying at every moment? It looks like something so spoken out there. We know that love exists. We found him handsome. But how is this love in your body? Following it is useful for you?

Love can be felt when a person does something we admire. When we shared a special experience with someone. Love makes us feel safe, confident and cheerful. Or even calm, relaxed and quiet. We also realize love when the desire to be close physically and emotionally from someone.

being fully attentive to situations - both when we are well as when we are uncomfortable - helps in self-knowledge about our values and regulation of emotions.

Experience, allow life with all of them.

Linehan, M. M. (2018). DBT skill training: Dialectical behavioral therapy manual for the patient. Artmed publisher.

article written by psychologist Ana Paula Domeneghini, member of the core Contextus.