Personal Development for Smart People Forums - View Single Post - anger & sadness, switch thoughts or let it run?

JJH · 12-12-2006, 06:05 AM

My opinion

is to never deny how you're feeling. I used to think replacing emotions with other thoughts was the way to go, but the results seemed to indicate I was simply burying them (for them to surface later).

I then switched to journalling, which helped me overcome a major trauma in my life. But this still has limitations for me. The ego is still very much present and it has a habit of perpetuating negative feelings.

I now fully experience the emotion or feeling in the moment, and really try to become aware of how the emotion feels in the physical body. You become the observer, curiously looking at what is going on without judgement. Then, the emotion is allowed to run its course (and the negativity seems to last a lot less time now too).

Let's make a distinction though: There are emotional responses that are appropriate (grief from loss, for example), then there are inappropriate emotional responses (such as anxiety and worry). The inappropriate feelings tend to linger on, fueled by ones thoughts. The cause is unconscious.

My method, anyway.

12-12-2006, 06:05 AM	#2 (permalink)
JJH Senior Member Join Date: Nov 2006 Posts: 173	My opinion is to never deny how you're feeling. I used to think replacing emotions with other thoughts was the way to go, but the results seemed to indicate I was simply burying them (for them to surface later). I then switched to journalling, which helped me overcome a major trauma in my life. But this still has limitations for me. The ego is still very much present and it has a habit of perpetuating negative feelings. I now fully experience the emotion or feeling in the moment, and really try to become aware of how the emotion feels in the physical body. You become the observer, curiously looking at what is going on without judgement. Then, the emotion is allowed to run its course (and the negativity seems to last a lot less time now too). Let's make a distinction though: There are emotional responses that are appropriate (grief from loss, for example), then there are inappropriate emotional responses (such as anxiety and worry). The inappropriate feelings tend to linger on, fueled by ones thoughts. The cause is unconscious. My method, anyway.