Don’t Get Stuck in a Rocking Chair – Focus on Emotional Balance

Our lives have been overflowing with challenges this year. On top of our own personal difficulties with health, finances, isolation, overwhelm, work, etc., we are also immersed in all the terrible things happening in the news. It’s easy and normal to 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 quality of life, 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 your thoughts and emotions
• Write them down and get clear on what they are
• Decide what is in your control and what isn’t
• Recognize and let go of those things you can’t control
• Consider how to channel negative emotions into productive action

Worrying is like sitting in a rocking chair; It gives you something to do but it doesn’t get you anywhere. – English Proverb

Try 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. Don’t waste your days stuck in a rocking chair!