About This Thing Called Feelings

Do you ever notice that when you're in a good mood or spirits everything seems perfect and bright? However, when you're not in a good mood, everything gets on your nerves, drives you mad, and becomes annoying? 

 

That's because our feelings tend to affect our attitude. 

Emotions that are freely experienced and expressed without judgment or attachment tend to flow fluidly. On the other hand, repressed emotions (especially fearful or negative ones) can zap mental energy and hope and lead to health problems. 

Therefore, it's important for us to recognize and identify our thoughts and emotions, and to be aware of the impact they have not only on each other, but also on our bodies, behavior, and relationships. As our awareness increases, we can find it easier to recognize what we are thinking, how we are feeling, and our attitude towards the experience. This can then help us choose to adjust our thoughts and emotional responses.

Is it easy to always remain positive? Ask someone who appears to have always lived their life in happiness and they will tell you: no, it's not easy! But you always get to decide. And I chose joy (James 1:2-8).

When we look at the impact our feelings have on our overall well-being and interactions with others it's amazing. I have learned (in difficult) ways the effects of emotions on the body, the mind and soul. 

Imagine waking up in the middle of the night one day unable to control your body from body shivers, night sweating and heart racing uncontrollably. Fearful and unsure what is going on...My spiritual readers you pray, keep praying, then human instinct has you reaching for your phone. Google says "sickness, disease, infection", but your faith says you are ok, go ahead and seek medical attention you've already been delivered. So, you race to emergency and get checked to be told pulse, blood pressure is stable and as precaution perform a gamete of blood work. Nothing, absolutely nothing is wrong. 

Something was completely wrong and unstable... my mind, and body were overcome with stress and my soul couldn't fight back. God, where are You... little did I know at the time, He was right there! Through that experience, I was receiving the warning signs of what could happen if I didn't adjust control my thinking and emotions. How many times have we ignored those signs?

Well, let me share a few key facts with you.

Impact of negative emotional outlook:

Chronic stress, anxiety, feelings of helplessness and hopelessness. These are just a few emotions that can upset our body's hormone balance and deplete the brain chemicals required for feelings of happiness, as well as have a damaging impact on our immune system. 

Chronic stress and anxiety are the biggest emotional monsters to our health... they can decrease our lifespan by speeding up the aging process which in turn slows down all the other functions of our body. Poorly managed or repressed stress is also related to a handful of health conditions. 

Importance of positive emotional outlook:

Many studies have shown that positive emotions have two important effects, they broaden our perspective of life (inspiring more creativity, wonder, and options), and they build up over time, creating lasting emotional resilience and successful developments. 

Some physical and emotional benefits of positive attitudes, also include faster recovery from stress, better sleep, fewer colds, and a greater sense of overall happiness. 

The good news is not only that positive attitudes such as playfulness, gratitude, awe, love, interest, serenity, and feeling connected to others have a direct impact on health and well-being, but that you can develop them yourself with practice.

Here's an exercise challenge for you: for everyone negative emotion (setback), I would like you to identify three positive ones (blessings). Can you do that? 

This exercise of focusing on positive emotions reverses the physical effects of negativity and helps build up psychological resources that contribute to a more productive and positive outlook.

Take a deep breath, be mind, spirit and health conscious and feel free to tell yourself when you feel you're getting worked up "it doesn't benefit me... I'm just going to let it go." You've just chosen joy!