My 3-Step Process For Managing Difficult Emotions

life coaching

Oct 16

Have any of these past weeks felt a bit "off"? If so, you're not alone.

I was listening to a Brené Brown podcast episode recently and she made a prediction that was so spot-on, I wanted to share.

She mentioned that Fall would be even more difficult this year for most people, because of the climate that we're in obviously, but because our culture is so used to the post-Labor Day transition for getting "back to the hustle".

Except for this year, the "hustle" has blended together with summer days, working from home, and limited travel opportunities- which is essentially warping our sense of purpose (heavy, I know).

I was listening to her say this on a walk the other week and thought "hmmm...very interesting- all good points"- and kept going about my life.

Well enter this past week, where I was feeling:

Extra bored- even more aware of the monotony of each day.
Guilty with feeling so emotional, when there are thousands of other people who are experiencing conditions that are so much worse.
Unsettled and craving change like it's my job...my hubby and I are in the process of clearing out lot's our house + life.
Etc. Etc. Etc.

And then I started to hear similar experiences from my clients, my friends, and family and it hit me- Brené was right (love that woman).

Just having some awareness of WHY I was feeling so off and knowing that I wasn't alone made me feel empowered- it gave me permission to take the next step and take action.

I wanted to share this with you because it's important to FEEL the emotions come up, rather than sweeping them under the rug- this is healthy. And we also don't have to rush through this.

But rather than feeling pulled into this sad, angry, anxious spiral and sitting in it, we have to CHOOSE to move out.

(UGH. This is so hard sometimes!!)

Having information, validation and self-awareness is key. And when we have more clarity around our emotional state it can often be just the right dose of motivation to move forward.

This past week I've watched so many of my clients go through this 3-step process.

I feel so inspired by each of them and how they're choosing to move forward- some have taken up a new hobby like cross-stitching, others have scheduled socially distanced exercise classes, and a few have gone back to childhood pleasures like puzzles and board games.

The point is, they shared the emotions that are coming up, processed rather than sliding back into old habits, and made a clear action plan for moving forward.

CELEBRATING THESE WOMEN and hope that you feel inspired to do the same.

In my case, I gave myself permission to feel (cry, get mad, shut out the world), reached out to my own coach for support in processing, and then took action- I reconnected with some friends & family, picked up a new book, escaped into some fun movies, and started planning an adventure for the weekend.

So all that to say, you are not alone- we're all going through this together.

And reaching out for support can be one of the most powerful steps during this uncertain time.

That being said- I have 1 spot opening up this month for 1:1 coaching with me. Here is a link below to apply for a complimentary consult so that we can dig a little deeper and see if we'd be a good match working together:

Looking forward to talking more- and until then remember this technique: feeling the emotions, processing, and making a plan to move forward.

Sending so much love.

Katelyn