My emotions are everywhere, all the time. Or maybe most of time. Or maybe some of the time. My point is that my emotions frequently can take me for a ride. I happen to live with CPTSD* (complex post traumatic stress disorder) and a listing of other conditions that aren’t particularly important to name and describe. But they all come with a heightened emotionalism which can really cramp my style.
I have to live with me daily and in order to feel better I have things I need to do that help with, you know? Living. And not feeling like a total mad woman 24/7. Maybe you can relate? Do you engage activities that help you feel better? Exercise? Talk with friends? Grab a bite? Life is rough and it’s important to have activities you engage in that help you feel better. For the alternative is to have very little joy or relief from what ails you and that is a prescription for misery unabated.
"...emotions can be like tsunamis and they can change by the minute, not the hour, day, or week. It can be...unsettling. And when that’s happening inside your mind and body you need tools to help you navigate the inner landscape of your life."
I happen to have lived in the valley of misery unabated for a nice little while, especially when I was actively using mind altering substances to get away from everything. It worked until it didn’t. Now I have new tools that help me with my day to day life. New tools that help with my heightened emotions. The emotions from my mental health challenges range from joy to anger to confusion to despair to excitement to boredom.
It’s normal to have lots of emotions, we’re emotional creatures. It’s normal to experience a range of emotions even in a day depending on what happens to us and what issues we have to navigate. For some of us though, emotions can be like tsunamis and they can change by the minute, not the hour, day, or week. It can be...unsettling. And when that’s happening inside your mind and body you need tools to help you navigate the inner landscape of your life.
"I use vulnerability, I use confession in supportive environments. I use connection. For me, spirituality is about connection."
My most helpful tools are spiritual in nature. And by spiritual, I mean working on and working with energies inside of me that science has little explanation for. I got neurotransmitters and a nervous system that inform me of inner goings ons all the time. But there is still very little rhyme or reason as to why these feelings, these thoughts right now. You know? There’s information in these experiences. But why now? And I believe that’s spiritual. That’s a relationship to a part of myself and Source that I can only partly know because the whole kit and kaboodle of self awareness is too big to digest in one sitting. So I have tools that help me live through my emotions. Tools that help me live through my thoughts. Tools that help me live through such massive changes in temperament while still being functional, happy, helpful, and less anxious.
I use meditation, I use prayer, I use conversations with Source. I use dance, I use affirmations, I use a morning routine that’s usually, but not always non-negotiable. I use vulnerability, I use confession in supportive environments. I use connection. For me, spirituality is about connection. Connecting to my inner world, connecting to power beyond my total comprehension, connecting to other beings on this journey. I usually have a designated time and space to engage each of these spiritual practices of connection and thus I create ritual. Ritual creates an anchoring structure in my life, so while my emotions are everywhere and nowhere, I’m still here. Usually. Mostly. I have better days than others.
*emotional dysregulation is a common symptom of many mental illnesses and mental health challenges. Be open to seeking professional support, but remember that healing is a holistic practice. It includes many angles, avenues, and resources to feel good and grounded. Be open to finding the collection of tools, resources, and spiritual experiences that help you be your best version of you.
Santee Blakey is a Life Coach, Author, and Licensed Massage Therapist (because healing is mind and body). She spends her time in cafe's, taking walks, being super sensitive, loving on folks, and practicing to be a whole human being someday. Check out her blog and social media for tasty bits of perspective, empowerment and ways to grow in self love. Schedule a complimentary coaching session to grow your spiritual practices today!
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