I sucked at emotions until I learned this

My therapist once pressed me on “feeling emotions” and I was caught off guard. 

Therapist: “How does that make you feel?”

Me: “Uhh yeah it’s fine” (inserts some positive spin)

Therapist: (not settling for my diplomacy) “What are 3 specific emotion words you feel?”

Me:

Ha I had nothing. Literally no words. 

I liked my emotions like my water. Bottled. 

But then I learned a framework (shared below) on how to connect to them. 

So this week we’re connecting to emotions, baby.

😀 Joy

My favorite thing I discovered this week was this playlist. 

I bookmarked it and jammed out every morning with my iced coffee. 

Caution: only play this if you’re ready to feel amazing and be productive af. 

🤔 Interested 

I sucked at understanding emotions until I discovered this framework:

Stimulus → Emotions → Why → Alternative 

Ex: When (stimulus) happened. It made me feel (3 emotions) because (why). I’d prefer (alternative).

Hint: once you define the “why” of the emotion, you spot what’s really happening. Try it out. 

Also, the wheel of emotional words can help uncover how you feel. 

😅 Ease 

“Holding on to anger is like grasping a hot coal with the intent of throwing it at someone else; you are the one who gets burned.” - Buddha

🧘‍♂️ Warm 

Here’s a guided meditation to relax before bed.

It’s like a comfy cloud for your mind to settle after a long (over-caffeinated) day. 

Try it tonight and let me know what you think. 

With Joy, 

Mitchell 

Ps. For life advice from kindergartners call 707-998-8410.