When I was in my teenage years, I would allow my emotions to get the better of me all the time. Eventually, I realized that it does more harm to me than it does to anyone else. So, that’s when I started to look for healthy methods on how to channel my emotions into something positive. I have several activities that all help me control different emotions. I’d like to share a few of them with you.
When I’m feeling sad
When I’m feeling gloomy I tend to shut down. I don’t want to talk to anyone or do anything. I’ve tried other people’s method, which is sleeping a lot, but to be honest, that makes me feel worse and it gives me nightmares sometimes. Instead, I like to read a book; my favourite book to be precise. Anyone who knows me knows I am a huge Potterhead. I would sit for hours on end completely immersed in this magical world! It allows me to escape from my reality for a while and free my mind. When I’m done, i.e. I’ve been reading for so long that my eyes burn every time I blink, I feel like a weight has been lifted off my chest and I can resume my normal happy day.
When I’m feeling worried
When I’m feeling worried I get very jittery and fidgety and I can’t concentrate on anything. My attention span is nonexistent. I need to do something that requires little to no effort. This is when I am most grateful to the television crew in Mexico who work at Televisa! I absolutely love Mexican telenovelas no matter what mood I’m in. I simply turn on my show of choice and lounge around drinking a warm cup of tea and that’s basically how I calm my nerves. I enjoy las cachetadas and traicion that I witness on the screen. It makes me grateful for the fact that my life isn’t packed with so much seemingly eternal drama!
When I’m feeling discouraged
When I feel like I’m lacking motivation, I do something that will feel rewarding. This isn’t limited to just one particular thing. I like to try new cooking recipes or do a puzzle. Also, learning new piano pieces help as well. I take it bar by bar and practice. Then, when I can play the whole thing with fluidity, I get that warm feeling of success and my spirits are lifted once more.
When I’m feeling angry
When I’m feeling angry I exercise! For some reason I feel like my pain tolerance is much higher when I’m angry so I’m able to push myself more. If I’m doing crab walks and I feel like my legs might give in… I do it about five more times. I end up enjoying the burning sensation. That does seem kind of masochistic, but in the end it all comes down to that rewarding feeling again. The pain reassures me that I’m putting in the work and eventually I’ll see the results that I desire.
When I’m feeling anxious
The first time I experienced an anxiety attack I literally thought I was going to die! The best way I can describe how it feels to me is by quoting this line from Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban “…everything went cold as though all the happiness had gone from the world…” So to prevent this from happening, as I start to feel the anxiety creeping up on me, I do something that I enjoy. I mainly sit down and do my makeup, listen to my favourite songs and as of recent I’ve been enjoying doing nails. It’s like my brain tells itself “Hey, you’re doing something you love, you cannot possibly be in danger” and it works!
Emotions are a part of being human! You just need to learn how to control them and not have them control you. Sometimes one little thing can make us sad or angry and we allow that to set the mood for the rest of the day when that shouldn’t be the case. There’s this little quote that I like and I repeat it to myself out loud anytime I need to keep my emotions in check. “I cannot control this situation. The only things I can control are my emotions”. Try that the next time you feel upset or frustrated and you’ll realize that the problem that you think is a great big mammoth is nothing but a little mouse!
I hope this can help you if you’re looking for ways to transform your negative emotions into something positive! Follow the five minute rule. If it won’t affect you in five years, it’s not worth five minutes being sad/ angry/ worried/ anxious about.
Thank you for reading!
Giovanna
xx
BeautyBird Journal 
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