3 tips to embrace challenging emotions in a pandemic

The waves go up and down, just be aware of what comes up for you.

Photo by Philippe Donn

In the midst of world news that isn’t always positive and uplifting, the shifting of daily work/life patterns that are now different and the uncertainties of it all, there can be a lot of emotions that show up as we go through our daily lives.

Lack of motivation, productivity and overthinking happens as a result of many new considerations in light of the ‘new normal.’ Small daily activities such as buying groceries and going to the park can become triggering.

New questions come up:

Do you have your mask, sanitizer and gloves?

Are there lots of people outside?

Are people social distancing?

Are people wearing their masks?

There are also things that you can’t control such as the worker/shopper who is angry for whatever reason and you are on the receiving end of their emotions because he/she just doesn’t know what to do or how to cope.

It’s a good reminder to remember the things that I can control.

Here are three tips to help embrace challenging emotions:

1. It’s an opportunity to observe myself. It’s a reminder for me to step back and fully feel the feelings that I am feeling even if it feels uncomfortable. And without judgement. A good reminder for me — “My feelings are real and my feelings are valid.”
2. Being more kind to myself. Taking the time and space to acknowledge myself. I check in and acknowledge what feelings/emotions are coming up instead of pushing them back down. I have my own unique experiences that make me who I am, even if my perspectives do not match up with what others are thinking and feeling, I remind myself to honour and respect my inner world.
   In an ultra busy world with so many to-do’s, it can be tricky to carve space to reflect and now is a great opportunity to start. It doesn’t have to be perfect, just take action and give it a go.
3. The discomfort can help me grow. In the moment, it feels like I’m riding an emotional rollercoaster with a wave of emotions that come up. At times, it may even feel like I’m the only one going through these emotions. And then the uncomfortable emotions such as anger and shame come up, making me wonder why I’m even in this situation to begin with.
   Then, I have to consciously remind myself to reflect and ask myself better questions such as:

“What are the lessons?”

“How would I do this differently next time?”

“How far have I come along in my own journey?”

How have you been handling challenging emotions during this pandemic?