Posted by pegasus on February 4, 2005, at 13:34:31
In reply to Containing emotion, posted by gardenergirl on February 4, 2005, at 8:15:31
Great topic. I've enjoyed reading how others handle this. My top 5 emotion containing tips are:
1. If things are *really* bad, I go home and crawl in bed. I may or may not sleep. But somehow being under the covers all curled up, thinking about things from that safe place, seems to help me a lot when things are very bad. But one key is that I have to give myself permission to do it, so I don't feel guilty. It used to freak out my husband, but now he recognizes it as a relatively healthy way of coping with big bad stuff, and he refers to it as hibernating.
2. I meditate when I'm starting to feel uncomfortable emotions, but not if I've already gotten to the point of overwhelm. I find that just sitting are noticing and accepting my feelings without getting really hooked in by the stories that go with them can really help me let go. Sometimes it takes a while to wind it down, though. I especially find a technique called tonglen helpful. You might want to check it out.
3. I write it all out. I can spend hours writing and rewriting about what I'm feeling. The process of trying to get it just right seems to help a lot. And this has the added benefit of being something I can show my husband or therapist later, if it seems important to communicate about it.
4. Let myself have a treat. For me it's usually a latte and a cinnamon roll. I think they're special because I don't get either at home, and they both seem really comforting to me. The other ingredient to this that seems to be important is the fact that I'm acknowledging my own hard time, and showing myself that I deserve special comforting measures.
5. Sing along really loud in the car to some music that I like. This isn't always available, but when it is, I think it helps a lot. Especially if I can find a song that synchs well with my emotions.
Good luck, and please let us know what other tips you might come up with during your searching. I'm also relatively emotionally sensistive, and always looking for *healthy* ways to handle it.
pegasus
poster:pegasus
thread:453008
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/psycho/20050129/msgs/453196.html