"We need to know how we are feeling. Mindfully acknowledging our feelings serves as an 'emotional thermostat' that re calibrates our decision making. Its not that we can't be anxious, its that we need to acknowledge to ourselves that we are."
- Noreena Hertz
One of the most important things about self care and self love is acknowledgment. Acknowledging yourself, your motives, your goals, and most importantly, what you feel.
Most of the time, we have trouble pinpointing exactly how we feel about things. And when we do, we tend to think, "Well, if I don't know how I feel or if I don't like how I feel, I just won't pay attention to it." We mask and bury our feelings and fail to realize how this hurts our souls. We think, "I can't feel this way" and we can. We can feel this way. You can feel this way. Because we are all human. God didn't create us to stifle through life and hide aspects of ourselves, especially our emotions. Our emotions are what make us who we are. They drive the way we respond to life and the things that life throws at us. God created us to be who we are and be who we are, unapologetically. He created us to thrive and walk proudly, not to hinder ourselves and slip quietly through life. Acknowledging what we feel allows us to follow the next step - acknowledging what made us feel that way:
Problem Solving for Feelings
1. Acknowledge your Feelings
2. Know your Feelings are Valid
3. Acknowledge the Source of the Feeling
4. Analyze the Situation (is it a problem, or just a nagging worry? Can the problem be solved or not?)
5. Solve the Problem or Accept that it is out of your Control
Today, acknowledge the feelings that you have been trying to keep at bay and confront them. This is your life. Don't let your mind take control of the reins that are in your hands.