In this article, Graeme and Tina Allan begin to explore the subject of emotions—what they may be, how they can sometimes get the better of us, and how we can begin to consciously regulate them for greater settlement and emotional health.
Emotional Regulation - A Pathway to Settlement
Dealing with Your Emotions
"What on earth got into you to behave like that?"
We have surely all heard this from a friend or family member, when an emotional outburst has appeared from nowhere – resulting in a whole range of outcomes to ourselves, friends, work colleagues, and in many cases, to our nearest and dearest.
The key emphasis in this question just asked is that something got into you. The simple implication is - somehow you lost control, and something else took control of the wheel, and drove you to a place in yourself you may be regretting.
How can you deal better with your emotions? One moment, you are having a conversation with a friend or loved one, which turns into a more robust debate over a small disagreement – and then, POW !! – you have become upset, and a flood of annoyance, anger and accusation often ensues. Somehow, you have lost it – completely.
Understanding Your Emotions
What happened? Quite simply, you were influenced by something entirely unexpected. The cool, balanced and in control you, was suddenly displaced by a different and out of control you – one or many emotions, coming to take charge of your body’s behaviour and actions.
Often it begins with a single emotional response – perhaps irritation about something your friend has stated or inferred – and then before you know it, a whole range has turned up – hurt, guilt, fear, anger, jealousy, pity. You have been taken over by a flow of emotional reactions and responses, often causing your friend or loved one to bring their own emotional response to the growing frenzy – and possibly a lovely dinner is ruined in moments.
What are these influences? How are they triggered? Where do they live in us? Why do they turn up when least expected? And, most importantly, how can I control them? Each of these questions we shall begin to explore at our upcoming event.
Emotional Awareness
Emotions are a totally natural gift, uniquely experienced by humans. Life is not just about the unfortunate emotions – we are all able to point to times in our life that have been full of positive emotions – happiness, kindness, joy, peace, love, warmth, calm and many more.
Well, guess what? These positive ones are influences that get into us too, and many times we do not know how these are triggered either. They may be more welcome influences, but they also can appear unexpectedly.
This idea of being influenced by a form of energy, negative or positive, is a key awareness we shall be exploring in our upcoming event – along with some simple techniques that help us in taking back control of our lives from the more unwelcome of these reactions, and bring emotional regulation back into our lives, away from the turbulence, stress and hurt that can dominate when we are being harassed by these uncontrolled influences.
Techniques for Regulating Your Emotions
As an example, we shall be exploring how simply singing, or humming, can be used as a technique to regulate our over-charged emotions. No choral experience needed!
We often refer to someone who can stay calm and in control of their emotions, as dispassionate – not influenced by strong emotions. The word implies without or with less passion. Or perhaps it means inviting passion in when you decide – not when an historic emotional trigger decides.
Join us on an initial discovery into what are emotions, how to regulate your emotional reactions, and introduce more settlement into your own life and those you mix with.
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