Reflect on your feelings
Reflecting on our feelings
It’s so important to check up on ourselves and our feelings. If we reflect on how and why we are feeling a certain way, we can modify our actions accordingly. If we are feeling happy, we can remember what made us feel happy and reflect on this when we aren’t feeling our best. If we are feeling sad, we can remember what made us feel sad and try to avoid repeating that in the future. When we are feeling sad, stressed, etc. we can’t always do something to change the situation, but we can do everything in our power to make the situation better. For instance, when I am feeling stressed because of a test, I know that I can’t change the test, but I can change how I react.
To be able to change what we are doing and how we react, we need to know ourselves. I can’t say this enough, but everyone is different. This means that everyone will have a different reaction and a different way of handling situations. I know that if I am feeling stressed there are a few things that help me. To help myself I might workout, breathe, meditate, etc. This is probably a lot different from what someone else might do, but that doesn’t make me or someone else wrong. You know yourself better than anyone, so tell yourself what you need in that moment and honor it.
Ellavate tip: Learning to change negative situations into positive lessons has helped me become a more positive and less stressed person. We are always going to have bumps in the road and mountains to climb so try and make them more positive. Think of these obstacles as a way to challenge yourself and show all the strength you are capable of.
I know this sounds cliché but, your feelings are valid, and you should never dismiss them. Although it may be hard, try not to put your feelings aside and instead confront them head-on. Defining what we are feeling and what is making us feel a certain way can help to solve the problem right away, rather than postponing it for later.
Reflecting on our feelings helps us to stay mindful in all aspects of our lives. Being mindful of our emotions can help us accept that emotion instead of fearing it and assists in reducing distress. Keep in mind that being mindful of your emotions means that you are aware of them, so don’t allow judgement to interfere. You also don’t need to label your emotions as “good” or “bad.” Just get a feel for your emotion and let that dictate how you react.
How are you feeling?
Ask yourself how you are feeling and really try to define it. Down below is a wheel of feelings and as you can see there are so many emotions. Use this wheel to try and interpret how you are feeling whenever you might need it.
Why are you feeling that way?
To answer this question, ask yourself other questions about what you have been doing or who you have been with. A lot of the time, the activity we do or the people we hang out with affect our emotions. If we realize that a particular person or activity makes us feel happy, we can try to make time for those things or people. On the other hand, if we find out that a person or activity is making us sad, we can try to spend less time with the person or activity. Sometimes the feelings aren’t as obvious, and you may need to dig a little deeper.
Now that you know how and why you are feeling a specific way, what can you do to let go of a feeling you don’t want or hold on to a feeling you do want. As I said previously, only you know the answer to this!
Here are a few pictures exposing myself and my emotions! Just know that no one is happy all the time, and that’s OK.
The emotions in the picture, from left to right.
Sad
Silly
Stressed
Confident
Powerful
Happy
Accomplished
Loved
Confused