How are your feelings these past weeks?
Two weeks ago, I felt happy and relieved because life seems smooth and things just fall into place, especially in my work.
Come the following week, I had to battle sleepless nights due to the hospital confinement of my sister. I felt irritated, exhausted, and anxious for a while. They were like a rollercoaster experience.
Emotions
Emotion is a spontaneous psychological experience of any person. It is linked to our thoughts, feelings, and behavior. It is believed that it is intertwined with the idea of mood, temperament, personality and disposition.
God in the Bible displayed emotions and these qualities are also reflected in the lives of humans. The man was created in the image of God after all.
Experiencing emotions is part of being human as God created. The Bible narrated the lives of people who went through different experiences and displayed various emotions — happiness, sadness, anger, jealousy, being peaceful, cheerful, etc.
Joseph the dreamer felt betrayed by his brothers; David felt awe in his worship to God; Job encountered severe physical and emotional pain as he lost many things in life; Hannah felt gladness when her prayer was answered by God as she bore Samuel; and Cain killed his brother Abel because of so much jealousy and anger.
Theirs are collective proofs that experiencing various emotions is being human.
Emotions are one of the clues of what is going on with our lives. In understanding and expressing it properly, one can live at peace with it.
Can we just pursue the feeling of happiness all the time? Or can we accept being grumpy as our default mode? The first one is impossible while the second one is unacceptable.
Feeling various emotions is healthy and normal. As a matter of fact, encountering various emotions is linked with good physical and mental health according to the Journal of Experimental Psychology. How can we ride properly in this roller coaster experience is the question.
Here are the two important tips to consider on how to ride a roller coaster experience:
*Learn to understand your feelings
Take time for yourself to reflect and evaluate how you feel and where these feelings come from. Being aware of how you feel or possibly name the feelings is a first step to making things clear. Journaling, sharing your feelings with your trusted friend or loved ones are ways we can do this. Sometimes when things and feelings seem overwhelming, consulting a professional counselor to guide you in the process could help.
Express your feelings in a healthy manner. Feeling is one thing and expressing it is another. In expressing, many fall into the temptation of hurting others or even themselves. When there is the tension of either the feeling of positive or negative, it is difficult to be rational. We lose our temper. We succumb to release the stress or tension either through hateful words or actions. Sometimes, it leads us to another feeling.
Crying, laughing, doing healthy physical activities, praying, brainstorming, writing, and communicating your feelings properly are some of the healthy ways we can express feelings in a healthy way.
*The art of letting go
Letting go is the answer during times when the feeling is so negative and beyond our control. Let it go to God.
God exists in our lives. He is not a distant God but an active participant in our lives. When we learn to accept our finite character and to entrust them to God, those uncontrollable things become bearable.
When I am in this roller coaster experience, God reminds me that it is about time to let Him be more active in my life.
This verse helps a lot “Be still, and know that I am God; I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth.” Psalm 46:10.
Then I let go and surrender to Him everything I feel.
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