Part One:
Overcome the pain of the past. Move toward Joy and Wellbeing.
Welcome to 2025!
If you are reading this article, recognize and celebrate that you made it through 2024, yet another year. As you reflect on last year with its triumphs and its disappointments, it is important to assess how you manage these experiences. The goal is for you to be aware of how your experiences impact you emotionally and for you to feel in control of your emotions, rather than feeling controlled by them. This enables you to aim for and embrace the positive feelings and experiences you seek.
As you reflect on 2024, and embrace the new opportunity that 2025 presents, here are some guidelines for handling your emotions.
Part One, this article focuses on a model for managing our difficult emotions. As outlined below, it is important to be Aware and Acknowledge emotional pain; Assess the impact of such pain; and Address the distress in order to move into a state of wellbeing that embodies health and happiness.
Negative Emotional Reactions: (e.g. Anger, Sadness, Disappointment, Jealousy, Insecurity, Anxiety, Low Self-Esteem, Low Self-Confidence, etc.
Be AWARE and ACKNOWLEDGE the Presence of Your Feelings:
It makes sense and is natural and healthy to have distressing feelings in response to unpleasant, undesired and painful occurrences. Give yourself the grace and space to recognize the presence, acknowledge the source, and feel your negative emotions, whatever they are. This is a form of healthy validation.
Pain in any form serves as a signal and messenger. Therefore, pain usually has a purpose. Of course, it is healthy to wish to end your pain and the subjective distress. Aim to resolve your pain. Pain resolution is best accomplished when you work through it, as opposed to blocking or dulling it. Unresolved pain is very likely to recur in ways that cause even more distress and disruption in the long run.
What is your emotional pain telling you? Instead of engaging in immediate efforts to block your awareness of the pain (i.e. either through defensive emotional reactions, such as denial, detachment or avoidance; or through external means such as alcohol and drugs), acknowledge that it is there; that you do not like it; and that it is causing you distress and therefore, interfering with your wellbeing. Also, allow yourself to identify the source or cause of the pain. This enables you to manage the pain by exercising your power and not feel overwhelmed by it. This is also the beginning and critical step of resolving the pain.
ASSESS:
In addition to considering the source of your negative and distressing emotions; it is also importance to recognize and assess their impact on you. In particular, what toll are your negative emotions taking on your wellbeing? Note Reflect on the following to help you make this assessment:
Severity of the subjective distress: How painful are your distressing emotions for you; To what degree are these negative emotions short circuiting your joy and comfort?
Chronicity or length of time: How long have you been feeling these distressing feelings?
Frequency of your distressing emotions: How often do you experience these unpleasant feelings? Is this a rare or sporadic occurrence; or can you detect a pattern as to when such disturbing feelings are likely to occur?
The Degree and Extent of the impact of your distressing emotions in your life: In what ways are your distressing emotions interfering with and/or limiting your healthy functioning? To what degree is your wellbeing being disrupted?
ADDRESS:
Decide how you wish to feel and use tools to resolve your distress. Aim to achieve a happy and healthy state.
Embrace a Positive Mindset: Allow yourself to:
See the possibility of moving into a healthy and happy state (increased joy, comfort, peace, ease, relaxation, authenticity, freedom, positive self-esteem, self-confidence, etc.)
.
See the possibility of regaining or attaining improved and healthy functioning in your life (carrying out and managing life’s responsibilities, work, relating well with others, performing well, in accordance with your abilities and skills, etc.).
Rid yourself of negative, self-deprecating, and self-defeating thoughts and behaviors.
Forgive yourself and others (as appropriate); freeing yourself from the self-limiting burden and pain. Forgiveness is a process, not an event. So, give yourself the time to work through the related pain and get back in control of your wellbeing.
Activities: These activities are self-healing and enable you to feel in control and connect with your best selves.
- Prayer
- Meditation
- Self-Reflection; Quieting and Centering (quiet walks, sitting quietly,
- Connect with Nature (woods; beach; listening to sound of water; watching animals from a safe distance; watching a sunrise or sunset, etc.)
- Journaling
- Engage with activities that bring you joy, peace, soothing in healthy ways
- Connect with others, who are supportive, trustworthy, caring and nonjudgmental
- Utilize professional services, such as individual or group therapy, or others that are relevant to your needs
- Practice Compassion and Generosity toward Self and Others
- Practice Gratitude and Focus on What’s Working Well (a sense of abundance vs. deficiency)
- Recognize and celebrate your strengths, accomplishments and victories
Stay tuned for Happy YOU Year! Part Two:
Embrace the Wealth of Yourself. Build on Your Value to Achieve Happiness.
For more information about Dr. Diane Kern's Happy and Healthy U: "Learn to Love Life and Live Well" services, visit:
Part One:
Overcome the pain of the past.
Move toward Joy and Wellbeing.
Welcome to 2025!
If you are reading this article, recognize and celebrate that you made it through 2024, yet another year. As you reflect on last year with its triumphs and its disappointments, it is important to assess how you manage these experiences. The goal is for you to be aware of how your experiences impact you emotionally and for you to feel in control of your emotions, rather than feeling controlled by them. This enables you to aim for and embrace the positive feelings and experiences you seek.
As you reflect on 2024, and embrace the new opportunity that 2025 presents, here are some guidelines for handling your emotions.
Part One, this article focuses on a model for managing our difficult emotions. As outlined below, it is important to be Aware and Acknowledge emotional pain; Assess the impact of such pain; and Address the distress in order to move into a state of wellbeing that embodies health and happiness.
Negative Emotional Reactions: (e.g. Anger, Sadness, Disappointment, Jealousy, Insecurity, Anxiety, Low Self-Esteem, Low Self-Confidence, etc.
Be AWARE and ACKNOWLEDGE the Presence of Your Feelings:
It makes sense and is natural and healthy to have distressing feelings in response to unpleasant, undesired and painful occurrences. Give yourself the grace and space to recognize the presence, acknowledge the source, and feel your negative emotions, whatever they are. This is a form of healthy validation.
Pain in any form serves as a signal and messenger. Therefore, pain usually has a purpose. Of course, it is healthy to wish to end your pain and the subjective distress. Aim to resolve your pain. Pain resolution is best accomplished when you work through it, as opposed to blocking or dulling it. Unresolved pain is very likely to recur in ways that cause even more distress and disruption in the long run.
What is your emotional pain telling you? Instead of engaging in immediate efforts to block your awareness of the pain (i.e. either through defensive emotional reactions, such as denial, detachment or avoidance; or through external means such as alcohol and drugs), acknowledge that it is there; that you do not like it; and that it is causing you distress and therefore, interfering with your wellbeing. Also, allow yourself to identify the source or cause of the pain. This enables you to manage the pain by exercising your power and not feel overwhelmed by it. This is also the beginning and critical step of resolving the pain.
ASSESS:
In addition to considering the source of your negative and distressing emotions; it is also importance to recognize and assess their impact on you. In particular, what toll are your negative emotions taking on your wellbeing? Note Reflect on the following to help you make this assessment:
Severity of the subjective distress: How painful are your distressing emotions for you; To what degree are these negative emotions short circuiting your joy and comfort?
Chronicity or length of time: How long have you been feeling these distressing feelings?
Frequency of your distressing emotions: How often do you experience these unpleasant feelings? Is this a rare or sporadic occurrence; or can you detect a pattern as to when such disturbing feelings are likely to occur?
The Degree and Extent of the impact of your distressing emotions in your life: In what ways are your distressing emotions interfering with and/or limiting your healthy functioning? To what degree is your wellbeing being disrupted?
ADDRESS:
Decide how you wish to feel and use tools to resolve your distress. Aim to achieve a happy and healthy state.
Embrace a Positive Mindset: Allow yourself to:
See the possibility of moving into a healthy and happy state (increased joy, comfort, peace, ease, relaxation, authenticity, freedom, positive self-esteem, self-confidence, etc.)
.
See the possibility of regaining or attaining improved and healthy functioning in your life (carrying out and managing life’s responsibilities, work, relating well with others, performing well, in accordance with your abilities and skills, etc.).
Rid yourself of negative, self-deprecating, and self-defeating thoughts and behaviors.
Forgive yourself and others (as appropriate); freeing yourself from the self-limiting burden and pain. Forgiveness is a process, not an event. So, give yourself the time to work through the related pain and get back in control of your wellbeing.
Activities: These activities are self-healing and enable you to feel in control and connect with your best selves.
- Prayer
- Meditation
- Self-Reflection; Quieting and Centering (quiet walks, sitting quietly,
- Connect with Nature (woods; beach; listening to sound of water; watching animals from a safe distance; watching a sunrise or sunset, etc.)
- Journaling
- Engage with activities that bring you joy, peace, soothing in healthy ways
- Connect with others, who are supportive, trustworthy, caring and nonjudgmental
- Utilize professional services, such as individual or group therapy, or others that are relevant to your needs
- Practice Compassion and Generosity toward Self and Others
- Practice Gratitude and Focus on What’s Working Well (a sense of abundance vs. deficiency)
- Recognize and celebrate your strengths, accomplishments and victories
Stay tuned for Happy YOU Year! Part Two:
Embrace the Wealth of Yourself. Build on Your Value to Achieve Happiness.
For more information about Dr. Diane Kern's Happy and Healthy U: "Learn to Love Life and Live Well" services, visit: