5 Secrets For Balancing Your Emotions

Varying emotions and violent mood swings are a natural symptom of many psychological challenges. You may feel happy and calm one minute, only to be swept up in an overwhelming wave of anxiety or depression the next. Navigating these vastly different emotions can be challenging on a personal level, but it can also seriously impact your relationships with your family, friends, and coworkers. This week, your online mental health counselor is here to help you stop the cycle with these simple suggestions for balancing your emotions.

1. Meditation
Meditation is an excellent technique for calming the mind and bringing balance to both your emotional and psychological state. It’s important to realize that there are many different types of meditation, and no one method is better than the other. What matters is that you find the one that resonates best with you and develop a consistent routine to incorporate it into your lifestyle. Even if you only meditate for fifteen minutes per day, you will likely notice yourself feeling much calmer and more centered overall.

2. Physical Outlets
Powerful emotions offer a release of pent-up energy. Sometimes, emotions feel stronger than they really are (or than they really need to be) so that we are forced to create an outlet for this energy release. By engaging in some sort of physical activity, you may be able to get this same release without falling victim to raging emotions. Choose a simple form of exercise (walking, running, push ups, yoga, etc) and use it to release the energy that would otherwise find its way out via your emotions.

3. Gratitude
Some people are amazed to discover what a difference a change in perspective makes. The next time you find your emotions spinning out of control, find something to be grateful for and focus on that instead. If you find yourself getting angry at being stuck in traffic due to a car accident, for example, instead be grateful that you (and your loved ones) were not involved in the wreck. By consciously devoting your energy to gratitude, your negative emotions will have less power.

4. Release Of Control
One of the biggest, most overwhelming stressors people face is the desire to control or impact situations that are, in reality, beyond their control. Worrying about how other people will react or stressing about the weather breeds unnecessary – and futile – distress. One of the biggest lessons you can learn is how to relinquish your desire to control the things that are out of your hands so that you can instead only focus on the things you can directly impact.

5. Living In The Now
Some people waste years of their lives dwelling on the past or the future, rather than focusing on the now. Constantly ruminating on the past often brings only frustration and regret, and focusing on the future opens up opportunities for unnecessary stress and worry. By living in the moment, conversely, you don’t have time worry or regret – all you can do is react to the situation currently at hand. The next time you find your thoughts wandering to the future or the past, focus on the things you are currently experiencing.