Do you tend to fear, avoid, or repress emotions? All emotions play important roles in our lives. As we learn to recognize, and listen to them in an open, non-judgmental way, they can become our invaluable allies. RAIN can help you befriend your emotions.
Why are emotions important
Emotions have a purpose and are all normal, natural, and adaptive. They provide us with information about what is happening in the world around us and can help motivate us to take useful actions in our everyday lives
Define Emotions
Below are a few definitions of common emotions, and some responses we usually have to them.
Anxiety
- Future oriented emotion.
- Felt in response to unpredictability or a perceived lack of control over a future situation.
- Signals vigilance, refocused attention on the perceived threat and reduced activity.
Sadness and Depression
- May be experiences as a sense of hopelessness and melancholy.
- Felt in response to a situation such as grief or loss where there is no evident solution.
- Signals us to slow down, and withdrawal to process and gather resources.
Fear
- Response to danger.
- Signals focused attention and readiness to act.
Anger
- Response to a perceived intentional injury.
- Directed towards a perceived threat.
- Signals us to get ready to defend.
When emotions become problematic
Emotions can become maladaptive if our reactions to them are not beneficial or in balance with the situation which is triggering the emotion. Part of the work done in therapy involves slowing down or pausing our reactions to allow psychological space to evaluate the situation and decide how we would like to respond rather than react in a way that perhaps is not helpful.
The R.A.I.N process
- Recognize the emotions you are experiencing
- Acknowledge and allow for emotions to be there without striving to avoid, fix or eliminate them. Gently remind yourself that you have permission to feel the way that you do.
- Investigate the emotion with openness, curiosity, and compassion
- Nurture with self-compassion- Recognize that the full range of emotions comes with the human experience. Remember you are not alone with your experience or emotions
Although at times emotions can feel challenging to manage, cultivating a new way of relating to them can increase understanding of our inner experience and foster a sense of peace.
Self-Reflection
- Did you notice any judgments about befriending your emotions?
- What emotions are most difficult for you to recognize and accept?
Useful Links
- Tara Brach: https://www.tarabrach.com/
- RAIN Meditation: https://palousemindfulness.com/meditations/RAIN.html
Free Virtual Consultation
Therapy can be a safe space to work on having a more mindful approach our inner experience. If this post resonated, and you find that cognitive distortions are affecting your well-being feel free to reach out to schedule a FREE consultation.
