What To Do With Your Emotional Baggage

You know stress (who doesn’t!)? Well, it turns out that big emotions can disguise a host of more nuanced feels, stuff like stress is just the tip of an emotional iceberg. There’s often a lot more going on down below. For example, perhaps it wasn’t that deadline frazzling you. It was the fact that your boss always subtly undermines you. Addressing these buried feelings can lead to “better psychological health, career success, and meaning in life”, says US-based psychologist Susan David. Ready to dig deep? Welcome to Cosmo’s crash course on tapping into your feels.

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1 EXPAND YOUR VOCAB

“If you don’t know what emotion you’re dealing with, you can’t constructively express it,” says Tony Ferretti, a US-based licensed psychologist. To that end, write down five positive feelings (like excitement, joy, passion, satisfaction, and hope) and five negative ones (anxiety, fear, guilt, anger, and frustration) on palm cards. Jot the actual definitions on the back, and feel zero shame if you have to consult a dictionary. Each day, choose one card and try to notice when you or someone else is experiencing that sensation. Chances are, it will crop up. ‘‘We all experience 10 to 15 emotions per day,” says Tony. Be aware of how various feelings affect your own body. Are you sweating? Do you feel optimistic? Keep it up until you can ID your emotions as soon as they start to surface.

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