Managing Your Emotions

Emotions can often be complex and confusing, yet our days are filled with an almost constant barrage of different feelings. Some such as happiness, excitement or contentment are positive and make us feel good. Others such as shame, anger or embarrassment are almost always much less positive and have a real effect on ourselves and our families if we cannot identify and manage them.

Identifying Emotions

Looking inwards, reflecting and being honest with yourself is important. Men in particular can struggle with this as emotions that lead to a feeling of perceived weakness might be hard to acknowledge. On the other hand, research shows that women can experience emotions more strongly. Some emotions are easy to identify, yet others can be difficult, the difference between envy and jealousy for example, or shame and embarrassment. It can be helpful to ask yourself “what am I feeling right now?”

Choose to Enact your Rational Mind

How you feel about a situation is largely beyond your control, but how you respond to it is. Imagine arriving at a crossroad, one path leads to an instant and perhaps negative reaction, the other to a much calmer more analytical approach. Consider asking “what does my rational mind think is the best course of action?”

Relaxation

Everyone needs an appropriate venue to vent their emotions, to feel understood and get things off their chest. Friends, an online psychologist (or your Gold Coast psychologist if you are in the area) are excellent resources to help you feel understood. E counselling can definitely help you to reduce the stress. Sometimes a different perspective can change how you feel, sometimes the simple act of talking is enough to relax you. A good psychologist can give you a number of strategies to calm down quickly that are tailoured to your specific needs.

Keeping a journal can also prove helpful to give your thoughts and feelings a safe place to exist outside your own mind. Online psychologists tend to agree that writing is therapeutic.

Practicing positive emotions, communication skills and meditative reflection won’t just help you to rehearse the reactions and emotions you want, it will also help you to relax. Not just in those moments but much more generally throughout your life, giving you much better emotional regulation and helping you to stay more relaxed and positive.

For further information on relaxation techniques and strategies for emotional regulation, click, tap or call me if you are in the Gold Coast area. You can also check out the online psychologist resources on my website at PSYCoaching.com.au

gold coast psychologist

The Importance of Mindfulness

gold coast psychologistTake a minute and think of any three things that are bothering you at present.  Now ask yourself – how many of those things are actually problems occurring in the here and now?

In today’s fast paced life where we often feel like we are running out of time, we often have difficulty enjoying the present moment.  All too often we are either too busy anticipating what is to come or thinking about what has passed.  Spending excess time in the past – or future – keeps us “in our heads” and leads to states of anxiety and depression.

What is Mindfulness?

The term “Mindfulness” is a translation of the Pali term Sati which is an important element in Buddhist healing methods. As an intervention strategy many online and personal therapists use mindfulness to treat an array of mental health conditions.

How Does Mindfulness Help?

Mindfulness helps by:

  • Making us aware of the ‘self’
  • Helping us to feel our surroundings and make full use of our senses
  • Allowing us a break from the chatter of our minds, giving us a chance to calm down
  • Allowing us to appreciate the beauty around us
  • Practicing and refining our concentration.

Easy Mindfulness Exercises to Try

  1. Mindful breathing: Allow the breath to flow freely. Do not try to control it. Keep breathing and stretch your arms with every inhale and exhale.  Focus all your attention on your breath.  When your mind wanders, gently bring it back to your breath, without judgement.  
  2. Mindful observation: Select any natural object in your visual field (flowers, birds, the sky, water, a flame, a flower or even a picture) and allow yourself to become consumed by its presence.  Every time your mind gets distracted with thoughts, plans, or worries – just gently bring it back to observing the world around you.
  3. Mindful listening: This is simply selecting the music of your choice and listening to it on a low soothing volume. If it’s a song you’ve heard before, try to notice something new about it. Notice the intricacies and the complexities of the music.   When the music finishes, observe and name the next five sounds you can hear in the area around you over the next couple of minutes.
  4. Mindful eating: Take a break from the conversation and close your eyes.  Take a bite. Observe the nuances of the flavours.  Notice how it feels and tastes on different parts of your tongue. Roll it around on your tongue and observe the texture of the food.    

Mindfulness takes practice, but is well establish as an effective remedy for anxiety and depression.  Start with 5 minutes per day.

For further information, contact an online psychologist or Gold Coast Psychologist if you are in the area. Check out my website PSYCoaching.

If you have any queries or suggestions on this blog, please share in the comments below.

Get up to 20 Medicare -rebated psychology sessions by seeking help this month*

A quick hello from from Richard Moore of PSYCoaching.
At times we all deal with issues that lead to anxiety, depression and stress.  When we get stuck in these states, we can get help from an extensively trained, friendly, non-judgemental professional, such as a registered psychologist.
*How to get up to 20 Medicare-rebated weekly sessions with a psychologist:
  1. A client with a (Medicare card) Informs their GP of their difficulties with Depression, Anxiety or Stress.   The GP asks some questions to assess whether the person is likely to need a referral to a psychologist.  They will base this decision primarily on a quick assessment of the client’s anxiety, depression and stress.  The GP then makes a  psychologist referral / mental health plan.

Mental Health Week, Website updates and Promotions

Happy Mental Health Week to everyone!

Did you know that at any given time, 1 in 5 employees are likely to be experiencing a mental health condition?
Mental Health Week 2014 runs from 5 to 11 October, and it’s a great time to show support for mental health and wellbeing in your workplace.
The week also marks World Mental Health Day on the 10 October.

How do I get involved?

You can start right now! Visit the beyondblue website for tips on how you can build a mentally healthy workplace, including:
  • improving the culture in your workplace
  • supporting access to psychological support services
  • raising awareness of mental health conditions and reducing stigma.
You can also check out the events that are being held around Australia to promote a better understanding of mental health issues.

Mental Health Week

Mental Health Week takes places 7 to 13 October 2014, with 10 October being World Mental Health Day. It is a chance to reflect on mental health and take some positive steps to highlight the importance of mental wellbeing. This year, the theme in Queensland is “MIND-CLICKS – where minds meet”. It is a chance to reflect on mental health and take some positive steps to highlight the importance of mental wellbeing. Visit the link for more information. http://ow.ly/Cc7Le