Emotions are always present. During times of pressure or stress, emotions may seem more intense and more draining. I invite you to remember that there is no such thing as a bad emotion, just depleting emotions. Emotions are labels that our unconscious mind gives to things. It is a communication method with the conscious mind. This is almost like an internal GPS system; it tells us to proceed, to go with caution, run towards, run away, and most importantly, they are there to protect us. Depleting emotions are how our unconscious mind has labeled things to tell us the situation may be uncomfortable or unsafe. This makes sense when recognize that a main function of the unconscious mind is to keep us alive, safe, preserving energy, while keeping us comfortable. This also explains how we can get very comfortable in our discomfort, which is a story for another day! 

The point is that we need to address our emotions because they are really just signals to help us know what we want more or less of or if something is violating our values & beliefs. The emotions can also be related to the old or limiting or negative beliefs we have about ourselves. Our emotions can be good indicators of the changework we are craving at an unconscious level.

When we have evaluated the situation and have determined that we are safe, in order to honor our emotions and the amazingness of our mind in how it is trying to help us, we can then run through a process of a few questions to:

In moments of elevated depleting emotions, we can step back and check in with ourselves and gain awareness to let go of the meaning:

1. Name the emotion. What is it that you are feeling? And what else? And what else?
   
2. What is the meaning? A way to find this out is to go back to just before you felt the emotions and replay what happened in your head. What did you say to yourself, hear someone else say, or see in your head? This is the meaning you are giving it.

Once aware, we can ask ourselves questions to recognize if we are giving our Personal Power Away:

1. Is this true? Can we know without doubt that it’s true? If it is not, then we are giving someone else’s behavior or our personal judgement and negative thoughts power over how we feel.
2. If yes, ask yourself, if it is ever not true? Could if have a different meaning? Is there ever a time that the behavior or thought is okay? 

In recognizing this, we can then choose to take our power back! The meaning that we give things, is how we give our power away. When we listen to the signals our unconscious mind is giving us, we can see the areas that we will benefit from working on in our personal development. We can also recognize that the only thing we truly have control over is how we choose to think about a situation, our attitude, and our response. No one actually and physically makes us feel any way emotionally. The meaning we give it in our heads is what makes us feel the way we feel. 

When we let things “make us” feel a way that doesn’t feel good emotionally and we stay there after acknowledging how we feel and evaluating the meaning, we are giving our personal power away. 

You are strong! Listen to the signals and messages. I would go a step further and say to thank your unconscious mind for bringing this to your attention. It is just trying to protect you. When we acknowledge and address our emotions, we break the patterns that hold us back from having the life we want.