S1 Ep 10: You’re Not the Only One Feeling the Feelings You’re Feeling

You are not the only one feeling frequently distraught and uncertain The starting point for dealing with feeling frequently distraught, uncertain, and otherwise negative is self-care. Who is in your head? You. And you’re it. There is nobody else in there. Thus, if you don’t take the time and make the effort to care for your self – who will? Because you are the only one in your heart, head, and soul, only you can care for your health, wellness, and wellbeing. This applies to all four elements of health. Physical health, mental health, emotional health, and spiritual health. If you allow any of these elements to have a deficiency and suffer, in time all of them will. They’re interconnected, and they are what make us into who, what, where, how, and why we are. You begin by recognizing this truth. Once you recognize it, you need to acknowledge it. It’s super easy to recognize something and then ignore, disregard, or walk away from it. If you don’t acknowledge it, you can’t do anything about it. How do you deal with feeling frequently distraught and other negatives? Before I begin, one very important note. There is no One-Size-Fits-All answer. Frankly, there never is. ·        Do not watch the news or read the papers. ·        Get off social media. ·        Seek and find joyful things. Not watching the news on TV and reading newspapers, getting off of social media, and seeking/finding joyful things are just a few ways to deal with feeling frequently distraught, uncertain, or otherwise negative. Distraught? You are not alone! Believe me – you are so, so, so not alone right now. The world is crazy – but I suspect it’s not crazier than it’s ever been. We just know it more clearly thanks to the visceral immediacy of the internet and 24-hour news cycle. You are not the only one feeling the feeling s you’re feeling right now. I think with only a few exceptions, nearly all of us are feeling this. If you have kindness, caring, compassion, and empathy in you – you feel it. That’s the most disheartening part of it all. Most of these big-picture issues are as problematic as they are because they lack kindness, compassion, and empathy. Know this – you are not selfish for practicing self-care. You are worthy and deserving of caring for your health, wellness, and wellbeing. And there is no shame in feeling frequently distraught or otherwise negative. No shame at all.   This week’s Applied Guidance for Mindfulness Tool: This is applicable to multiple situations. Create Attitude Shifters. Write down 5 things that always shift your attitude. These should be 5, easily accessible memories that make you smile, or just generally feel good. These can include things like: ·        A certain child’s laughter ·        A song that makes you want to dance ·        Holding your lover’s hand ·        The smell of your favorite coffee brewing or bread baking ·        Enjoying a particular sweet or savory food ·        Standing outside in a warm summer rain You get the idea. Then, keep these attitude shifters handy. Put them on an index card or keep them where you can easily reference them to change your attitude when you are feeling distraught, uncertain, or otherwise negative. In a month – write down 5 more. This is a great way to remember that there is good in the world and your life experience. Author Website: https://mjblehart.com Email: [email protected] Instagram Twitter Facebook Blogs: titaniumdon.com and mjblehart.medium.com Cover artist Fe Mahoney: https://www.etsy.com/shop/TaliasInspirations