Mood Journal 101: How to Get Started on Controlling Your Emotions

One utilitarian exercise to get to the beginning of lingering negative feelings ( and increase incontrovertible ones ) is keeping a climate journal, or emotion journal. In this fog, we often forget to ask some key questions that might bring stand-in, like “ What are these emotions ? ” and “ Why am I experiencing them ? ” It can make us feel like we ’ ra living at the mercy of our emotions, alternatively of in control of them. many of us can wander under a overcast of dim, undefined gloom or anxiety for days — if not longer.

always find worked up, depress, or just plain bad without knowing precisely why ? If you feel like your emotions command you, try this journaling drill. When you can recognize these trends, you can work to eliminate or avoid certain triggers — or focus your energy on how best to respond adjacent time. “ An emotion daybook allows you to record your feelings over several days or weeks and then detect patterns or trends, ” Ruiz says. A mood journal is similar, but since it ’ s focused on your emotions, it ’ ll bring clearness to how to improve your mental health. Journaling your thoughts, emotions, and challenges has been shown to reduce anxiety and depressive disorder. One argue : Putting down our problems on paper often helps us see the causes — and consequently solutions — more clearly. “ If you can record how you are feeling and what you are thinking, you are better able to track your emotions, comment people or places that are triggers, and recognize warning signs of your impregnable emotions, ” says therapist Amanda Ruiz, MS, LPC. This type of journaling international relations and security network ’ t your typical record of casual activities. rather, it ’ s a room to identify and take action around your feelings. While premade emotion journals are available for purchase, there ’ s no motivation for any particular products or materials to get started. All you in truth need is a blank notebook and a write. At bedtime, or whenever you have a few quiet moments, outline the following column to help you reflect on a few of your biggest emotions from the day :Emotion nameWhat caused this emotion?Behaviors or actions this emotion caused me to takeIs this emotion appropriate to the situation?Is this situation a distress to be tolerated or a problem to solve? And how? here ’ s more on the questions to consider in each column when you ’ re write :

Emotion name

Underneath a web of surface-level responses normally lies one of a handful of basic emotions. In fact, many psychologists believe there are merely six to eight “ primary coil emotions. ” If you struggle to pin down your feelings ( and need a few more shades of nuance beyond six options ), keep a list handy to help you name yours. You can print one out here.

What caused this emotion?

When we pause for a piece of self-reflection, we can normally identify the site fueling an emotion. possibly it wasn ’ t truly the mess your kids left in the kitchen that prompted that after-dinner blow up, for exemplar, but the stressors you experienced at shape that day. Take a moment to get honest and write down the real cause of what you ’ re feel .

Behaviors or actions this emotion caused me to take

It ’ sulfur human nature to act in reply to emotion. sometimes this leads to beautiful expressions of love, gratitude, or rejoice. But other times, it means giving in to road ramp or spending an hour locked in the toilet cry. What did it look like for you today ?

Is this emotion appropriate to the situation?

many therapists call this step “ checking the facts. ” Do your emotional responses match with the circumstances that caused them ? Consider the scale of your reaction, excessively. It may help to consider what you ’ d tell a friend if they were in your position .

Is this situation a distress to be tolerated or a problem to solve? And how?

If today ’ s emotion wasn ’ metric ton such a incontrovertible one, you have a decision to make : What are you going to do about it ? For situations you can change, make an carry through plan. Have an honest conversation with a acquaintance who said something hurtful, for case, or set an appointment to get a troublesome health problem checked out. Some circumstances, however, are plainly outside our command. In this case, it ’ south knowing to embrace the concept of “ distress tolerance. ” This is our capacity to withstand difficult emotions. Consider what healthy coping mechanism you have at your disposal ( better self-care, possibly, or time with good friends ), and take caution to implement them. If you react to your triggers fairly immediately, possibly on a scale that doesn ’ deoxythymidine monophosphate align with the trigger ( like a delay during your commute sending you into a rage that ruins your entire day ), it can help to drill self-care in the moment. If you feel yourself experiencing a distress emotion, consider taking a short walk, taking 10 decelerate breaths, or listening to your favorite song. Write down your in-the-moment game plan in your temper daybook. Working on improving your mental health with a temper daybook doesn ’ t necessarily mean that identifying your triggers or behavior patterns will lead to immediate solutions. Seeing results may take a while. Don ’ metric ton be discouraged, though. Continue journaling and fine-tune your action design to find what works best for you.

Sarah Garone, NDTR, is a dietician, mercenary health writer, and food blogger. She lives with her husband and three children in Mesa, Arizona. Find her sharing down-to-earth health and nutriment information and ( by and large ) healthy recipes at A Love Letter to Food .

source : https://nutritionline.net
Category : Healthy