Nobody wants to experiment painful emotions. But sooner or later, anxiety, sadness, disappointment or frustration come into our life. At that point, we have no choice but to deal with them in the best possible way. Furthermore, in a society where "negative" emotions have been stigmatized and the idea of ​​happiness at all costs has been promoted, dealing with these emotions is even more difficult, because, in a sense, we are ashamed to feel them, we believe that something is wrong with us simply because we feel these emotions and our first impulse is to get rid of them as soon as possible. of tools that allow us to effectively manage the painful emotions we experience during life. In this way we can reduce their impact and, at the same time, listen to the message they send us.Sometimes, painful emotions are so ingrained that talking about them does not help much. In fact, when emotions are very intense, we can try to make sense of it, but it will probably be of little use. It's like the fear of flying or of spiders, we know it's irrational, but even then we can't get rid of it because, in some cases, those emotions originate in the unconscious. And the unconscious does not work with words but with symbols, images and meanings. So, sometimes, the best techniques to relieve painful emotions are those that do not resort to words. These are techniques that we could describe as "creative" and allow us to connect with our deepest "I", with our unconscious. . And the most interesting thing is that they are very simple techniques within everyone's reach, but they have enormous power to calm emotions. In fact, instead of judging them, try them and evaluate their effectiveness on you.A series of tools to deal with the emotions that disturb us
1. Create a safe space. Find a quiet place where you can retreat for about 10 minutes. Put some relaxing music in the background and close your eyes. Imagine you are in a safe space where you feel comfortable. Use your senses: What is the temperature in the room? What colors do you see? What is the smell you perceive? What do you feel? So imagine this safe space with as much detail as you can identify. Mentally archive this drawing, it will be a constant reminder of the incredible sense of spiritual peace you felt. Plus, you can go back to that place when you need it, whenever your emotions cause you pain and suffering.2. Scribble. It is not necessary to have special artistic skills because it is simply scribbling on a sheet of paper. But we still recommend using strong colors like black or red. Spend 10 minutes scribbling on a large sheet of paper, without thinking about anything else. You can indulge in bold strokes or press hard, however you like. You have to imagine that you are downloading those emotions that disturb you on the sheet of paper, you can also locate them on a body level and visualize how they are passing through your arms in the scribbles. When finished, you will feel very relieved. And you will also be able to read the meaning of your scribbles, perhaps you will discover something interesting.
3. Give your emotions a soundtrack. Music has enormous power over our mood, as it connects directly to the limbic system, which is primarily responsible for regulating emotions. Therefore, one technique for dealing with painful emotions is to create your own list with songs that reflect the emotion you want to let go, such as anger, pain or sadness. Immerse yourself in the chosen music for about 10 minutes, in the end you will feel comfortable with yourself and that emotion that plagued you will be mitigated. In fact, it has been shown that "sad" music can actually make us happy.
4. Tear off a sheet of paper. Choose a sheet of paper of the color that reflects the main emotion you are experiencing at the moment. Then take about 10 minutes to tear off the paper. The idea is that you rip it as fast or as slowly as you wish, but ideally it would be best to do it slowly, as you detect the emotion in your body and feel how it passes through your hands and reaches the paper you are destroying. When finished, you will feel more relieved and relaxed.Another alternative is to cut the sheet of paper into strips and write on each one of the things that worry you. Put the strips in a bottle, shake it several times, while you see how all these worries mix, just like in your mind, and then burn the strips of paper in a symbolic way. As you watch how they are consumed by the fire you will feel a deep sense of tranquility.
5. Create an emotional collage. Browse through old magazines you have around your house to find pictures that express how you feel. It is important that you do not think too much, only choose the images that have an emotional resonance within you. Cut them out and glue them onto a large sheet of paper. Once the collage is finished, visualize the image you created and ask yourself what you are trying to say to yourself.Our deepest emotions can be expressed more easily through visual images and symbols. Therefore, it is likely that at first it may seem that you are choosing random images, but when you dive deep inside you will find out why you made this choice. Often, by understanding its meaning, you can come to understand why you feel that way.
