Negative emotions don’t have to be all-consuming.
We all feel negative emotions. They are inevitable as we go about our daily lives.
Some people think they are “bad”. But they are neither good nor bad. They are simply data of how we are feeling.
Positive emotions like happiness and joy have obvious benefits to our wellbeing, but negative emotions are valuable in the right circumstances. Anger can rally teams together towards common action and push them through difficult circumstances. Sadness can force people to pause and reflect deeply.
Given this, we still don’t want to lose control to our emotions. We seek emotional intelligence.
We can’t necessarily prevent these emotions from arising. Things happen. We get triggered and can be left feeling angry or upset.
But we can control how we respond while in the moment. Do we overreact and build them up? Or do we slow down and let them pass like a storm?
There is power in sitting with these emotions and letting them burn up without becoming attached. This is usually preferable to releasing them in a fierce outburst which could have significant consequences that linger around.
Can I sit with my negative emotions without being consumed?