Processing strong emotions.

How the world has changed in 10 days. There is so much coming at us, and there isn’t enough time to process all of it. What can we do when we are feeling fear, anger etc?

One of the best ways to process strong emotions is to write them out. One way is to write Morning Pages, a method developed by Julia Cameron, the author of The Artist’s Way. You can use sheets of photocopy paper or write in a large notebook. She suggests that we should keep writing until we have filled 3 sheets of paper. Just write out what you are thinking and feeling, for your eyes only. Don’t edit yourself, just pour out onto the page everything that’s been going around inside your head. If it takes you more than 3 pages, keep going. At the end of this time of writing, your head will be clearer and your heart less heavy, and you can go on with your day.

Another thing we can do is to be sure to take a 2-3 hour block of time each day away from the TV news, our smartphones, the internet in general, to lessen the amount of information coming at us.

What can we do during that time off? Going outside for a walk is a great idea. This will give us a fresh perspective, and increase our bodies’ Vitamin D levels via exposure to sunlight, which is known to be good for us in many ways.

We could lose ourselves in something.. like reading an engrossing novel, like making a craft, like watching an old favourite movie. Just relaxing in this way will give our hearts and minds a break and again, we will be able to carry on.

We want to do everything we can to keep the levels of the stress hormones, cortisol and adrenaline, down in our bodies, and increase the levels of dopamine and serotonin. Preparing and eating a good meal alone, or with the family members we are at home with, will increase the levels of dopamine and serotonin. Praying together, if that is part of your faith tradition, will too.

Dear Lord, please bless us all with the ability to find the ways, unique to us, for processing strong emotions and the ways, unique to us, that help us find pleasure and calm, even in the midst of the strife around us. Help us be resourceful. Help us be generous. Help us be kind to ourselves and to those around us that we have access to. Lord, help us sleep well enough at night to awaken refreshed.

Amen!