Clear Your Mental Space
Copyright 2006 Jennifer Givler
Think about the last time you felt a negative emotion - like
stress, anger, or frustration.
What was going through your mind as you were going through that
negativity? Was your mind cluttered with thoughts? Or was it
paralyzed, unable to think?
The next time you find yourself in the middle of a very
stressful time, or you feel angry or frustrated, stop. Yes,
that's right, stop. Whatever you're doing, stop and sit for one
minute. While you're sitting there, completely immerse yourself
in the negative emotion.
Allow that emotion to consume you. Allow yourself one minute to
truly feel that emotion. Don't cheat yourself here. Take the
entire minute - but only one minute - to do nothing else but
feel that emotion.
When the minute is over, ask yourself "am I willing to keep
holding on to this negative emotion as I go through the rest of
the day?"
Once you've allowed yourself to be totally immersed in the
emotion and really feel it, you will be surprised to find that
the emotion clears rather quickly.
If you feel you need to hold on to the emotion for a little
longer, that is ok. Allow yourself another minute to feel the
emotion.
When you feel you've had enough of the emotion, ask yourself if
you're willing to carry that negativity with you for the rest of
the day. If not, take a deep breath, as you exhale, release all
that negativity with your breath.
This exercise seems simple - almost too simple. But, it is very
effective. By allowing that negative emotion the space to be
truly felt, you are dealing with the emotion rather than
stuffing it down and trying not to feel it. You are actually
taking away the power of the emotion by giving it the space and
attention it needs. When you immerse yourself in the emotion,
and realize that it is only emotion, it loses its control. You
can clear your head and proceed with your task.
Try it. Next time you're in the middle of a negative emotion,
give yourself the space to feel the emotion and see what
happens. Keep a piece of paper with you that says the following:
Stop Immerse for 1 Minute Do I want to keep this negativity?
Breath deep, exhale, release. Move on!
This will remind you of the steps to the process. Remember, take
the time you need to really immerse yourself in the emotion.
Then, when you feel you've felt it enough, release it - really
let go of it. You will be surprised at how quickly you can move
on from a negative situation and get to what you really want to
do!