Sunday, February 12, 2023

Managing Emotions - Dr. Sangeetha Madhu

Emotions can have an important influence on health, and it is critical to deal effectively with the feelings that accompany the everyday ups and downs of life.

1. Use your emotions and bodily responses to recognize when you are under stress. Responses like a racing pulse, tight muscles may all indicate that something is amiss in your emotional world.

2. Write down your thoughts and feelings about what is stressing you. Take a daily inventory of your emotions. By writing down what you feel and when, you may be able to identify patterns of emotional ups and downs. If is also important to write down the thoughts that go with the feelings.

3. Control whatever aspect of the stress that you can. Life presents many situations every day, and you should not view them in black and white terms- those you can control versus those you cannot. Look for the shades of grey- the elements you can control. When you know what’s going to happen in a situation, you nervous system can gear up to handle it.

4. Redefine the Problem. Your attitude to stress can affect your health more than the stress itself can. If the problem is out of your control, recognize that and redefine the problem to determine which parts you can avoid or handle.

5. Develop behaviors that distract you from stress. Anything you do that distracts you from your stress for a while is good. For example, take a walk when stressed.

6. Reach out to a friend, family member or professional counsellor.  Social relationships are good for your health, and reaching out to someone about your stress can improve your outlook. If you are lacking social networks, you may find it easiest to meet others during a shared activity.

7. Meditate and Relax. Meditation has a wide variety of health benefits, and stress reduction is one of the big ones

There is no single way to instantly reduce stress or manage your emotions. By using a variety of tools and methods, you will be able to calm your mind and regain your emotional health.