moving through big emotions step by step

1. Pause and acknowledge your emotions. Give yourself space and time to feel.

2. Sense the emotion in your body: where do you feel it (tightness in chest, clenched jaw, stomach cramps, etc).

3. Name the emotion(s) if you can, and write the names down.

4. Pause to remember that you are safe, and this will past. No bad feeling can last forever.

5. Consider the cause. What made this emotion appear? What happened right before? If the answer is obvious, try to look deeper. Why did whatever event caused this emotion have such a big impact on you?

6. Decode the emotion. What message is it trying to send you? What need does the emotion want to be met? Emotions appear for a reason.

7. Act: decide how to cope in a healthy and non-destructive way.

8. Let it go. When you feel ready, release the emotion and give yourself permission to relax.