When we think about how we are feeling, it can sometimes be difficult to connect with the word that best describes how we feel in a given moment. It has become so interesting to me how many people are unaware of how they are feeling from moment to moment. Often times I find that within their families they were never been taught the language connected with different feelings and emotions.
The first step to developing our emotional awareness is tied to identifying your feelings. A feeling whee is an effective tool for figuring that out. You may ask, "what is emotional awareness?" It is the ability to understand, recognize, and respond to your feelings. The feelings wheel can be used to broaden your emotional vocabulary by helping you identify the moods that you are experiencing.When you become aware of these emotions, it’s easier to find appropriate ways to work with them.
In a session I will ask: How are you feeling? Most people will say, "Im good" or "Im fine" Good and fine are not feelings. They are words that some use to describe different feelings or emotions. Emotions such as anger, jealously, sadness, or frustration some considered “bad,” while emotions such as happiness, joy, love, or excited are considered “good.” However, we are doing ourselves a huge injustice by categorizing emotions. Emotions are not good or bad, they just are. For the most part, our emotions are an automatic reaction, something we have little control over or can stop from happening. Emotions help us to understand ourselves and situations, make decisions, and often play a large part in our behaviors, actions, and interactions with others.
All emotions are okay and should be felt, it is the reaction or behavior that comes from those emotions that you would consider “good” or “bad,” or “healthy” or “unhealthy” for ourselves or others in our lives. Emotions happen, and they are typically out of our control, but what is in our control is how they impact us.
Take a moment to ask yourself, "What am I feeling right now?"
How am I reacting to these emotions or feelings behaviorally?
What would I like to change?
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