Should You Ignore the Bad Stuff? The goal is emotional balance
Life can be full of challenges. We know it from watching all the terrible things happening on our news channel or thinking about the difficulties in our own lives or the lives of friends and family. We can spend a lot of time feeling stressed, worried, or frustrated. But if we get stuck in these negative thoughts and emotions, it comes at a cost – a cost to our well-being, our happiness, and even our health.
My message is NOT about ignoring these problems or avoiding the feelings they bring. That’s not helpful or healthy either. Our frustration and stress can be great motivators for us to take action to make things better, to fix problems, and to right wrongs. The trick is to recognize when we can channel this negative energy into making a difference vs. when we’re simply wasting our energy and our life on things we can’t control.
Instead, my goal is to help people find a better, healthier, more enjoyable balance. It’s about using our negative emotions, getting the information they’re trying to tell us, and then moving on without getting stuck.
It can be helpful to –
- Tune in and notice our thoughts and emotions.
- Write them down and get clear on what they are.
- Decide what is in our control and what isn’t.
- Consider actions we can take that will help us address our emotions.
According to Susan David, Ph.D. a renowned psychologist and expert on emotions, happiness, and achievement, “Emotional agility is a process that enables us to navigate life’s twists and turns with self-acceptance, clear-sightedness, and an open mind. The process isn’t about ignoring difficult emotions and thoughts. It’s about holding those emotions and thoughts loosely, facing them courageously and compassionately, and then moving past them to ignite change in your life.”
Practice tuning in and experimenting with the bulleted points above to help you achieve a better balance of your emotional energy for a higher quality of life. Like so many things, it’s a process and takes some effort.
Wishing you peace & happiness!
Tina
Tina Hallis, Ph.D., is a positivity speaker, trainer, & author. She is also the founder of The Positive Edge, a company dedicated to helping create more positive attitudes, positive work cultures, and positive results.
