ARE YOU PAYING ATTENTION TO YOUR EMOTIONS? HERE ARE 7 PROVEN WAYS TO CHECK THAT

By Harmeet Kaur

We all have different personalities, different wants and needs, and different ways to express our emotions.  Navigating through all this is a life hack if we want to succeed in our life. This is where emotional awareness comes into the picture.

To put it simply, Emotional awareness is the ability to recognize your emotions, and what they are telling you, and realize how your emotions affect the people around you.

Do you remember your small self crying and when asked by your mom, you started crying louder with no answers? It was because you were not able to express your feelings properly in words.

But, the good news is emotional awareness is a skill, which means we can learn it by practicing.

Here are some tried and tested techniques to be a pro at this skill.

1. Recognize Your Emotions

Start by observing your emotions as you feel them. For example, you might say, “I am feeling proud” when you close a deal with your client, or “I am blessed” before having your meals.  It is the first step towards your life-changing journey.

2. Define the Intensities

Are you aware of the intensity of your emotions? For instance, there is a difference between smiling, giggling, and laughing.

You can try this exercise now before moving to the next point.

1. Please smile
2. Now giggle
3. Just laugh

3. Track One Emotion

This is a funny activity. Every day, just think you will track the times when you feel happy, sad, guilty, etc. Just cover one emotion in one day.

4. Keep a Feeling Journal

Whenever you want to vent your emotions, just pick up your journal, and start writing each and every detail minutely. And, an amazing fact is that you will be surprised when you will read it the next day.

For example, you had a fight with your sibling. You pick up the journal and start venting out your frustration,” She ate my ice cream. I will never talk to her again….”  The next day, however, the situation won’t be the same because you have already broken your promise. Now, you may have another reason for writing it.

5. Spend Time with Your Emotions

Every night, before sleeping, just think of your day’s activities. And, if you think you have responded in some wrong manner, ponder over that situation and think about what could be the right reaction at that time. Have the learning!! And, then let it go!!

6. Take Responsibility for Your Actions

If you made a mistake, instead of defending it unnecessarily by giving false evidence, it is better to apologize and move on in your life.

7. Be Empathetic

Actually, empathy is a by-product of emotional awareness. You will start respecting other people’s emotions. You will feel yourself in their shoes before passing your verdict.

P.S. A trick that will give a kick-start to your journey is to repeat the activity mentioned in the second point.