When did you find yourself in a spiral of difficult feelings today?
Let your feelings come and go, and be your teacher.
After an emotionally difficult day, check in with yourself by asking:
🤔 When did I find myself in a spiral of difficult feelings today?
We often try to resist unpleasant feelings because we want to feel good. But this can backfire and make things worse. For example, if we feel anxious about a difficult situation, worrying that anxiety might harm our health can make us even more anxious. Then we might feel sad, wondering why we’re always anxious. We might feel ashamed, thinking that only people with emotional struggles feel this way. All these feelings can build up, making us feel overwhelmed and stuck in a downward spiral. This can drain our energy, increase stress, and if we don’t deal with it, it might lead to panic.
We tend to try to numb these difficult feelings with alcohol, food, or distractions like social media or shopping. Sometimes we avoid challenges just to escape the anxiety they bring. A little of this isn’t always bad. Watching a funny movie after a hard day can help us reset. But when it happens too often, it can backfire. Drinking or overeating might bring relief in the moment, but over time, they can create bigger problems. For example, eating chocolate to feel better about our weight can lead to more weight gain and even more chocolate, trapping us in a harmful cycle.
Resisting difficult feelings is like pushing a beach ball underwater: the harder we push, the stronger it bounces back. Getting stuck in a spiral of negative emotions is like struggling in quicksand: the more we fight, the deeper we sink.
If we stop fighting unpleasant feelings and simply allow them to be, they lose much of their power over us. We might not like these feelings, but by not battling or numbing them, we save energy and avoid extra suffering. When we make room for them instead of pushing them away, they can come and go naturally. This opens a chance to be curious about what the feeling is trying to tell us, helping us understand ourselves better. It takes practice and patience to stop fighting feelings and to allow them their space. Being kind to ourselves through this process helps us grow and heal.
Noticing when feelings start to build helps you take back control. Gently check in by asking:
🤔 When did I find myself in a spiral of difficult feelings today?
