#MarchMomentum Part 1 of 6

#MindOverMatter. Emotions play an enormous part of any and everything we do. It’s a cycle of sorts leading to the next behavior. We feel sad, so we don’t want to get out of bed – that leads to a doom loop in our heads about being in this state forever – which leads to not eating or overeating – which leads to self-doubt and insecurity – and so on, and so forth.

This six-part series will focus on chapters seven and four (yes, in that order) of the Life in its Rawest Form Companion Workbook.

So how do we effectively manage our emotions? Having and using the right tools and resources is essential in this quest. I didn’t always deal with my emotions effectively, sometimes resulting in an unfavorable outcome.
Here are 5 ways to help you when you’re emotional, but first, just know that it is okay to have emotions or to become emotional at times. In fact, you should be concerned if you weren't. The key is controlling and managing your emotions effectively in effort to minimize unfavorable outcomes.  

1. Manage your emotions effectively – work very hard at not allowing your emotions to control your reactions 
2. Be aware of when you are emotional – identify your triggers and work to proactively get in front of them, so that you can see them coming and steer your reaction in a positive direction.
   
3. Acknowledge why you are emotional – identify and relate to the reason that is causing you to be emotional. A lot of times this stems from unresolved past  experiences or trauma.
   
4. Learn how to cope with your emotions effectively – one of my favorite quotes from my book is “it is what it is.” There are somethings we have no control over and some we do. There will be people, places, and things that will cause us to feel some type of way. The best thing we can do for ourselves, in this case, is to accept it, learn to make peace with it, and to focus on the positive out of the situation. 
5. Apply methods for coping – think of things that can help take your focus off the situation or circumstances; reflect back on how you’ve overcame tougher circumstances in the past; talk to a loved one or a friend about it in effort to help get through the situation.