How to: Balance your emotions

Have you ever found yourself holding in your emotions, until you at one point feel like exploding, or are you constantly overwhelmed by all your feelings? It is something that most of us experience, but we should not let our emotions control our lives like that. Because it’s in these situations, we lose track of ourselves and end up saying and doing things that does not align with who we truly are. Learning how to balance our emotions is such an important part of what it means to be in control of your life and to be present. Therefore, I wanted to share some of the things that I do to feel more in balance with myself and emotions.

Take a step back

Taking a step back to reflect every once in a while, is important in order to move forward. Take a shower, meditate or spend time in nature. It might give you a new perspective on things, and you might end up feeling more refreshed and calm. Be in nature, walk in fields of flowers. Surround yourself with colors so vibrant, they don’t even exist outside of nature. Take a step back and just spend time with yourself and your thoughts. This way, it is easier to pinpoint what’s most important in your life. A single day brings a lot of new impressions and emotions, and it is easy to get caught up in an evil circle of stress. But if you manage to spend a little time every day to gather your thoughts and breathe, you might avoid those days where you feel showered with emotions.

Acknowledge your emotions

Don’t waste your energy on denying what you feel, because this will only result in bottled-up emotions. And that is how you end up bursting into tears, or snapping at someone for no apparent reason. All those emotions will eventually come out, and it is exhausting to suppress such a big part of you. Remember that you are feeling what you’re feeling for a reason, and most people have probably felt the same way at some point. It is also important to know that there are no “bad” feelings. For instance, anger is not necessarily bad, and you should allow yourself to feel it sometimes. All your emotions are valid, and the more you fight them, the more you let them control you. Your emotions are an important part of you, so allow yourself to feel.

Ask yourself “why”?

Once you have accepted what you are feeling, ask yourself why? We often let others emotions affect us and we feel them as our own. Media, friends, family and music, it is easy to let other tell us how to feel. Asking yourself why you are feeling what you are feeling, is important, because in order to fully process your emotions and be able to let them go, you should know what is causing them in the first place. Is someone pressing their own emotions onto you?  Has someone said something that hurt you? Why did it resonate with you?

Ask yourself if this emotion is really worth feeling. Don’t let it just wash over you, and control you. To be centered, balanced and in-control you need to be aware of your emotional self. What in your life is causing you to feel this particular emotion? When you know why, it is easier to fully let go and move on.

Get creative

Noting is more calming to me than allowing myself to be creative. Whether I’m feeling stressed out, melancholia, bitterness or sadness, being creative helps me relax and stay grounded. Doing something creative, lets you express your feelings, and work with them in a different way than just reflecting. It is great for balancing emotions, because your focus is on creating and expressing what’s inside you. It is not focused on social media, work, errands or school. Paint, draw, write short stories, let yourself fantasize, daydream and allow your thoughts to take you to places you’ve never been before. Create. Whether it is a charcoal drawing or experimenting with film cameras and light. I promise you that it will help you find more peace and balance in your life, as you learn to be more comfortable with your mind and processing what’s inside you.

(Photos submitted by Rebecka Kann)