Developing strength and agility is critical for physical fitness but so the same is true for emotional wellness. Strength is part of a well developed psyche that has good coping skills and emotional resilience. The perks of having emotional agility is not as widely appreciated. Being flexible can really help a person thrive and be able to cope with everyday situations. Emotional agility is a key to thriving.
Emotional Agility
Emotional agility helps a person accept emotions and learn from difficult or uncomfortable situations. This also includes tolerance of higher levels of stress, setbacks, and learning to live in the present moment. Rigidity in one’s emotions can keep a person stuck and promote greater instances of depression and anxiety. We all can get stuck by strong emotions such as anger or fear, including those we cannot control but the goal is not to avoid unpleasant or tricky emotions. It helps to move gracefully forward. Here are six ways to do that:
- Use challenging emotions constructively. Anger, sadness, fear, and guilt often have hidden gifts. These emotions can help a person form persuasive arguments using concrete information. The key is to be open and accepting of the emotion and lesson behind it. You can channel it into active, productive steps.
- Shift perspective. Viewing one’s own challenges from a third-person advantage can help adopt a person’s point of view and help a person distance oneself from stress, anxiety, frustration, or sadness. It helps to find contradictions including how people become a victim and can take responsibility for the situation. Think of the best advice to give oneself in that situation.
- Consider letting go. When a person interprets a situation in life in a negative way, it can bring up old feelings. Being willing to let go of unrealistic expectations, resentments, or sense of unfairness can be both freeing and energizing. Rather than being passively resigned, take ownership and learn to let go.
- Ask questions. Everyone has traits or qualities that can be improved upon. Rather than focusing on self judgment, release it into the world and seek harmony. Seek a sense of peace with the path and focus on emotional agility as a way of building a sense of self esteem. People with a growth mindset see the self as an agent of change and may be more willing to take risks.
- Change vocabulary. Put strategies into action and think in terms of what is desirable and seek to pursue goals to that end. Focus on what is desirable, not the shoulds and have-to-dos on the list. It is subtle but very important for a positive frame of mind going forward.
Cypress Lakes offers a place to explore the possibilities of what it means to be healthy and whole. Our mind, body, spirit focus is intentional and all about you. We will help you grow and focus on the areas you need help in to make your recovery the best it can be. Call us to find out how we can help you get started on the journey. 866-217-2636
