No one wants to be a zombie; we are heartful beings. But we must admit that emotions often get out of control. For some of us it takes a lifetime to learn a healthy balance between reason and emotions, the head and the heart. Journaling is a brilliant way to discover how to acknowledge, accept, and manage our emotions.
We’re discussing negative emotions here, since positive ones don’t distress us much, obviously. But maybe it’s smart to keep in mind that extremes of any kind can be dangerous.
So when you feel overwhelmed by negative emotions, what do you do? Would you sincerely like to rid yourself of these bad feelings? Are you willing to be brutally honest with yourself for a week in order to explore your options?
Wednesday: What’s going on between you two?
Do you have any kind of a relationship with your negative emotions, or do you just try to escape them? Take some time to journal exactly how you handle the sadness or fear or anger. No judgment here, just the truth.
Thursday: Decision time.
Are you ready to commit to improvement even if the process could be painful? Journal your response to the question: How motivated am I to do something about feeling so bad?
Friday: Bring in a fresh viewpoint.
Sit down for a journaling chat with your Inner Coach. Remember that your coach is 100 percent supportive and knows without a doubt you will succeed in your endeavors. Update your coach briefly about the situation, especially your fears. Stop writing and breathe for a minute. Then begin to write what your coach is saying.
Saturday: Tell the story.
Write in your journal all the details: how the bad feelings originated, how you have reacted, why the negativity persists. Important: you may blame others for your difficulties in the story, but you must also be completely up front about the ways you contribute to the problem. Believe me, you do contribute. It always takes two to tango.
Sunday: Forgiveness.
Forgive, or at least forget. Whatever caused the negativity has to be let go; however you have failed needs to be released from regret. Make a list in your journal of all the things you plan to relinquish. Again, while you may be shedding relationships or re-working outer circumstances, be sure the list also includes the parts of your own self that you now want to change.
Monday: Next steps.
By today, you’ve had a pretty intense rendezvous with your bad feelings in this journaling exercise. If you got this far, you may be wondering what now? Sure, those negative feelings are there, I accept them and I'm working to heal my relationship with them. But how do I decrease the frequency of these emotional overloads? How do I manage them from now on?
Since emotions well up from the subconscious, we have to stay continually alert and can’t just decide we are rid of them once and for all. But we can make lifestyle modifications to minimize the risk of feeling bad. Journal some ways you could do that. What changes in your physical, mental, or spiritual life would lead to less emotional intensity? What can you do today to begin working towards those changes?
Tuesday: Turn your focus outwards.
The ultimate cure for negative vibes is to love. After a week of inner focus on your emotions, spend some time forgetting all about it and concentrating on helping someone or something else. After the experience, reflect about it in your journal. Ask, How does giving to another serve to heal my negative emotions?
One way to keep track of emotions is with the practice of Morning Pages, a daily pen-to-page exercise of stream of consciousness writing. Morning Pages are a wonderful way to clear your mind, leave things that have been bothering you behind on the page, and begin your day with fresh start. Read all about it here!
If you want to learn how journaling can help you tackle life's challenges, please download the free eBook, The Journaling Guide to Manage The Stress and Strains of Life.
A daily Morning Pages journaling practice is a key component to better mental and physical health, greater energy, and an overall sense of well-being. Our 12 Day Guide to Morning Pages self-paced journaling course is a gentle introduction to a daily habit that can change your life.