Affirmations, prayer/meditation, sunlight, entertainment, exercise.
Individual overall wellness is the vision of a sound mind, a fit body, and a vigorous spirit. In my experience this is the best approach to effectively manage negative feelings. Allow me to tell you more.
Our feelings are led by what and how we think. Think about how you processed a recent loss. Where you prepared for the loss or was it sudden? If it was sudden, what were your immediate thoughts? Did you your stomach drop or did your mind tell your body that the proper reaction to a sudden loss is to think there is a bottomless pit in one of your digestive organs?
When grappling with negative feelings you need a plan to redirect your thoughts. Affirming facts that contradict the negative feelings changes the language, tone, and intent of your current thoughts and will eventually change how you feel. Once in the habit, it is easier and maybe even faster to process the negative thought—feel it, then shift your thinking to affirming what remains in spite of those negative feelings.
My choice to follow Christ and maintain a relationship with Them has evolved over the past couple of years, particularly around how we communicate. I used to think of God as a far away entity, past the sky, to look up and worship. When I matured, I learned that with choice came the opportunity to have the Divine live in me.
Accordingly, when I am feeling bad mentally, physically, emotionally, or spiritually, I know that not only does Christ know but is sharing in the pain I feel. So, I use prayer as a channel to have a conversation with Christ, and I am sure to detail how I feel in plain language. Then, I will read my Bible, expecting a response. I usually end my time in quiet meditation, committing to memory what I felt and how I will choose to move beyond this temporary feeling and continue down the path to eternal life.
Sunlight is one of nature’s two best medicines. When negative feelings arise, the best defense is a dose of all-natural vitamin D if we are able to catch them at the onset. While I prefer to walk mine off, just sitting with your face in the sunlight, feeling the warmth of rays on your skin immediately impacts your mood. The more time we dedicate to paying attention to our feelings, the faster we can respond to nature’s adrenaline and run to the sun. Just be sure to put on your shades and sunscreen.
Entertainment is based on your personal preferences. By definition it is meant to serve as a diversion and to hold your attention, whether passively or actively participating. While this is the perfect excuse to binge watch our favorite shows or shop in our favorite stores, I believe in a more sustainable pleasure. So I balance my temporary distractions with my goals to reach a permanent state of bliss (insert side eye). The message is to have a variety of entertainment options and employ the right one based on the intensity of your negative feelings.
Exercise is another fast-acting solution to counteract bad feelings. When you get over the initial struggle to make exercise part of your life the mind will begin to see find ways to integrate physical movement into your routine. The mind will begin to crave the satisfaction of progress as you move from the 18-minute mile to the 12-minute mile, as the number of squats you complete with ease increases, and when you can finally hold a plank for 60 full seconds! I am not speaking from experience or anything, but your mind will begin to look forward to those rewards to occupy it when negative feelings come knocking.
Evading negative feelings leads to a toxic buildup internally that can materialize in different ways and result in permanent damage to your relationship with yourself and relationships with others or damage your credibility. Instead of subjecting myself to any systems of self-sabotage, I choose to acknowledge my feelings and then implement one of the options in my personal, individual, and overall wellness plan. I’d love to hear about yours; be sure to comment below.
Until next time.
