Most self-help advice for any anxious, depressed, or anyone going through some mental trauma revolves around rewiring your brain.
“X steps to fix your mood forever.”
Although well-intentioned, they all seem to skip a critical step. In order to rewire your brain, you first need to identify exactly when your brain is spiraling out of control. Often by the time you realize that you are feeling anxious or overwhelmed, it has already triggered so many things that it’s hard even to pinpoint what you were stressed about. We all know the feeling.
Our first impulse is to try to make it go away by numbing with whatever provides the quickest relief. But that’s just like putting a band-aid over a deep wound. Unless you learn to become more self-aware by identifying your triggers, leaning into the discomfort, and actually observing your emotions, you won’t be able to fix the root cause. For example- why does X make me feel really angry or doing this thing makes me really emotional?
Capturing these emotions while they are happening isn’t always easy and does require practice and time depending on your emotional state. But this effort pays off in major ways when it comes to your relationships and overall well-being.
Unpleasant events can provoke strong reactions in anyone, but when you can manage triggers effectively, you’ll find it easier to navigate tense situations without unnecessary distress.
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