Facing emotions in times of crisis is not an easy task, especially with our own emotions, we usually live them in a chaotic, disturbing and exhausting way, fear is confused with anxiety and, at the same time, we feel the pain of a Hope that encourages us to move forward in spite of everything, but frustration and even anger also arise when we see that things do not always go as planned.
Emotions move, come and go, trap us and change our thoughts, the anatomy of these psychophysiological realities determines us completely, but we generally still do not know how to use their potential and their incredible usefulness that can allow us to move forward, survive in complex scenarios that we are going through right now.
- In Great Expectations.
- Charles Dickens states that a heart that loves.
- Feels.
- Rejoices and suffers often reflects the most authentic wisdom.
- Perhaps we have forgotten this last point: to be able to experience this wide range of emotions and feelings that life (and learn) from them) is one of the most remarkable benefits we have.
In times of crisis, change and uncertainty, the most decisive test of all is in us, the test that is not only to survive, to endure all the storms, all the attacks and setbacks that fate can bring.
It is also about developing a plan to forge our own path, to move forward with determination, with our clear goals in mind: balance and well-being. Let’s get more into this.
The amazing thing about seizures is that the brain treats them like a threat. These periods, which are normal and somewhat expected throughout life and the current cycle of society as a whole, are seen by our mind as the breakdown of something that was already well.
The fact that many things that were not safe or predictable alter our brain amygdala, producing high doses of negative emotions such as fear and anger.
The renowned anthropologist Juan Luis Arsuaga points out that every era, every cycle of humanity has its own crisis, and we are experiencing the crisis that concerns us and all of us who know, so there is no unique strategy that allows us to disappear from the context in which we are inserted.
What is, in fact, an obligation. Ideally, we try to act as responsible people, and this is done first by taking care of our mental health, our emotions.
First of all, we need to understand one thing to manage our emotions in times of crisis: is the emotional tissue we currently live in formed of ups and downs?An hour we were angry, then we filled ourselves with hope and soon felt anxious.
The fact that this happens is quite normal, you have to accept all the emotions you feel. We have to validate every feeling our body feels, every feeling that settles into our minds.
These emotional ups and downs are not the result of a mind losing control, it is not a psychological disorder. These are completely normal processes.
We tend to feel emotions viscerally in times of crisis, what does that mean?This means that we will feel stomach pain, this implies that our appearance will be more tired, we want to sleep more at some point in the day, little by little hyperactivity appears and, with it, the desire to move. are headaches or stomach pains.
These discomforts, nomads are the result of emotions that manifest in our body and demand, at the same time, to be accepted, understood and managed by our minds, so we cannot fail to pay attention to these physical sensations.
To cope with our emotions during crises, first of all, we need to understand what our emotional pattern is in these circumstances, that is, some people react with great anxiety to a change or uncertainty, others, however, use a calmer and more focused pattern. and flexible look.
In any case, we know that it is not easy for anyone, but the most important thing is not to lose control, mental health is to feel the right emotions at the right time and understand how to react, that is, in complex moments. , it is understandable to feel sadness, fear, discomfort, anger, etc. Not recognizing these emotions, denying them or amplifying them to the point of letting themselves be carried away by them is not the right thing to do.
You have to know how to identify every emotion. It is necessary to make small pieces of this gigantic and chaotic knot of emotions so that it is possible to identify them and give them space, to accept them, later it will be time to “domesticate them”.
One thing to be clarified is that we cannot turn a negative emotion into a positive emotion. No one can go from sadness to joy, even if they desire it with all their might. The brain has no switch. Instead, it has a prefrontal cortex that allows us to reflect, look at things from a different angle.
A study by Dr. Burbara Fredikson of the University of Michigan has shown something important: educating our brains to dimensions like hope, thinking that tomorrow will be better than the present and that things will improve, can help us in times of crisis.
Dealing with our emotions in times of crisis also means knowing how to ask for help. We must not forget that this crisis is global and that somehow most of us face the same fears and needs.
Being able to trust someone is always a positive thing. Creating emotional paradises with people to talk to, express and share thoughts with is very cathartic and beneficial.
To conclude, as Albert Einstein said, only imagination is more decisive than knowledge itself in times of crisis, this helps us to create possible avenues of change to respond well to problems, however, we must not forget the emotional aspect. Taking care of this internal universe is decisive to always give the best of ourselves.