Mind-Body Balance
The body and the mind are like a machine that works together to identify and interpret what is going on inside and outside of the self. Together, they give us the knowledge and resources necessary to respond according to the situation. This process could be compared to homeostasis: our systems will always tend to regulate and balance themselves.
Therefore, the mind is the keeper of our internal world, and it works to create behaviors that compensate to help release emotional burdens. These burdens can be very conscious, like when we dream about our problems, or they can also be unconscious, like when we feel angry and sad for no apparent reason.
Another way in which we manifest our emotional frustration is through somatization. This means that the body becomes (truly) physically sick. For example, when you fight with someone, you could experience stomach problems like the activation of an ulcer.
So, we can’t choose our emotions. They manifest themselves based on a perceived change in environment. Their presence, therefore, is more determined by events than by will. But when they arise, we can choose how to handle them: we can deny them, suppress them, fake them, conceal them, control them, or simply feel them and express them openly.
Techniques to maintain balance
The first step to maintaining emotional health is to get to know ourselves. This involves training our mind to notice those subtle and not so subtle changes in our body, our emotional expression, and our behavior. An excellent way to get to know ourselves is to keep a journal, record, log, or to write poetry or prose. You can write everything in your diary: there are people who record all of their biological cycles, which helps them be aware of emotional disruptions. Some of the physical changes we might notice are: changes in appetite, alterations in the sleep cycle, strong mood swings, fatigue, or excess energy.
A diary can also help you classify your emotions. Are you able to tell the difference between anger, annoyance, and rage? Your body tells you, but you need to pay attention. If you start to write down how your emotions are manifesting themselves in your body, the next time you have an emotional reaction you will immediately know what emotion you are experiencing.
This technique also works if you want to start remembering your dreams. Dreams are representations of your internal world, and the more we write them down, the more we will train our minds to remember them. This way, we can interpret them better, which allows us to listen to and get to know each other.
After you identify an emotion and the ways that it is manifesting itself, the next step is accepting, processing and constructing a more suitable response. Many times we shove things to the back of our minds, into the graveyard of emotions, either out of fear of what others will say, because it’s not the right place to express it, or because of the way an emotion feels. We call this emotional inhibition. This has its problems, because the body accumulates anything that it cannot process in its search for balance, and this accumulation wreaks havoc. Imagine the pile of emotional skeletons we still have!
Acceptance
Accepting your emotions means that you agree to live your emotions in their full expression. It also means accepting that each feeling has a function in adapting to the environment and in preserving the body. For example, fear has an adaptive function because it tells you that there is a potential danger and that you need to be alert. Sadness and joy have a social communicative function because they allow others to know your moods and to empathize with them. Surprise has a motivational function because it encourages us to find out more about what surprises us.
When we accept an emotion, we simply let it express itself. We do not suppress it or become permanently attached to it. It is important to remember that emotions are dynamic and ever-changing states of being. When we are faced with an intense emotion, we feel it too much and it often clouds our vision. Therefore, don’t make important decisions if you are in a moment of intense emotion. Repeat to yourself, “this emotion will also pass, and another emotion will come”.
Emotional processing refers to activities that get rid of emotional energy, such as writing, singing, dancing, talking to someone, connecting with a character or TV series, playing sports, spending time with your pet, and other forms of expression, such as crying, screaming, punching a pillow, or sleeping.
Just like everything in life, we need routines that help us stay on track and be effective. We need to find our own ways of releasing emotions. And these must be varied, because routines can also become boring. It’s important for you to find a variety of activities to express yourself. You can try art therapy, dance, and movement activities like yoga and other sports, or music. You can also look for activities that make you reflect, question and interpret the thoughts and behaviors you are having with an emotion. You can do this by writing, talking to someone, or doing meditation or mindfulness exercises.
Do you know your ways of expressing emotions?
Here are some techniques that you can try yourself. You can also adapt them for younger children.
Link: https://www.holistic-mindbody-healing.com/emotional-release-technique.html
