065. All the Feels: Why Emotions are (Mostly) Awesome & How to Untangle Them When They’re Not with Elizabeth Laing Thompson

“Who of you by worrying can add a single hour to your life?” Luke 12:25 2020 has been an emotional roller coaster. This year has been nuts. Add to that the fact that motherhood can feel nuts some times and comes along with so many emotions that you just don’t know about until you’re in the thick of it. A lot of moms I talk with (myself included!) talk about how these emotions can feel like they get out of control sometimes. And our guest today, Elizabeth Laing Thompson, is here to talk about just that as she shares insights into emotions, motherhood, types of feelers, self-awareness, anxiety, and offer ideas for us from her new book: All the Feels: Why Emotions are (Mostly) Awesome & How to Untangle Them When They’re Not. Elizabeth’s Bio: Elizabeth Laing Thompson is the author of All the Feels, When God Says, "Wait," and When God Says, "Go." She writes at LizzyLife.com about clinging to Christ through the chaos of daily life. As a speaker and novelist, she loves finding humor in holiness and hope in heartache. Elizabeth lives in North Carolina with her preacher husband and four spunky kids, and they make her feel humbled but happy, exhausted but exhilarated, sometimes stressed but often silly—well, you know . . . all the feels. As a Big Feeler, I needed this book and this conversation. Elizabeth’s insights really helped me learn more about how people come at conflict, stress, and anxiety in different ways. Her fresh, loving perspective gives us ways we can come to understand ourselves—and our emotions—in a really freeing way. ************************** In this episode we talk about: · Being a “preacher’s wife” & how it influenced her book · Preacher’s kid to preacher’s wife…and all the stereotypes that come along with that · How ministry families aren’t perfect and are not trying to be perfect · The three types of feelers: Big Feelers, Steady Feeler, Reluctant Feeler · Our spiritual self & spiritual health · Prayer & feelings · What happens when we stay stuck in our own thoughts and narratives · The power of reflection…slowing down and taking time to get to know ourselves better · Ways Elizabeth encourages people to slow down · How both of us find that slow down time while our kids are asleep · Journaling our feelings as a way to identify our feelings, upsets, etc. · Anxiety (is anxiety even an emotion?) · Sources of anxiety and stress · Variety within stress and anxiety · How to equip ourselves to handle stress and anxiety · Feelings on caffeine · Taking personal responsibility for our emotions and lives · Becoming empowered by accepting this personal responsibility · How we are not stuck with our emotions · “The Happy House” · How moms set the emotional barometer of the house…we set the mood · Having a house where everyone feels comfortable and safe communicating their feelings · One person’s feelings are not allowed to dominate the house · Selflessness · Self Control · Self Awareness · “Doing the work” as moms · Being aware of our gifts and how they are helpful…and how knowing that can help us understand others · Empowered to grow Elizabeth’s Links: Website: http://LizzyLife.com Facebook: https://facebook.com/aLizzyLife Instagram: @elizabethlaingthompson Elevating Motherhood Links:  Website: www.elevatingmotherhood.com Sponsors: www.elevatingmotherhood.com/sponsors (Blossom & Root) Instagram: @loribethauldridge