What to do when you’re flooded with difficult emotions

1. Find a quiet space where you can allow yourself to relax and start to come out of your headspace (the part that’s analyzing everything and/or beating yourself up over something).

2. Slowly follow your breath from your head - and into your body.

3. Follow that breath inward and notice where this specific feeling is located in your body (your chest, stomach, shoulders, etc.). It might be helpful to put a hand there.

4. Now, just be present in this moment and allow the feelings. Breathe into them and become curious about what you notice. (You might notice an image, a color, or remember a certain memory attached to this feeling. Nothing is too weird here. Remember, our feelings contain important information for us.)  

5. Ask yourself, “What do I need right now?” (You might notice you need to take time for self-care, you need to cry, or maybe it’s helpful to speak to your inner child about what he/she might need to hear right now: “You will be OK. You are not alone. You are enough. I’ll wait here with you until it passes,” etc.)

6. A helpful practice can also be to breathe in what’s painful and breathe out the opposite of that.

 Daily and gentle attention to your heart and body is important. When you’re noting heightened emotions, you can know that something inside needs attention. Use this practice to pause, allow your feelings to have a voice and help direct you to what you need in the moment.

A simple practice, but so powerful!

For more practices, grab my free guide: Permission to Pause: 3 Practices for finding yourself and your center in uncertain times.