With everything going on in the world right now, it’s hard not to be emotionally affected. Experiencing emotional hardship is expected during this historical pandemic. That being said, it’s becoming increasingly difficult to manage our emotions on the daily. “Staying positive” is proving to be much easier said than done. But, there is good news. We can learn to manage our emotions whenever we hit emotional turbulence. Keep reading to understand how the brain processes emotion and ways you can learn to navigate through your negative emotions.
How Does the Brain Process Emotions?
The first step in navigating emotional hardship is understanding how the brain processes emotion.
The brain is so complex. It’s the central processor in the body, responsible for all human functioning. When you are exposed to information, the brain takes it in, and outputs a correct response based on the information received. Imagine loving the smell of bonfires. When you breathe in the bonfire smell, the information is sent to your brain. As your brain processes it, your brain deems the smell as pleasant to you, and you may experience enjoyment. Researchers are now finding that there are specific neurons in the brain that are responsible for the emotional associations you have. The neurons group situations directly into pleasant or unpleasant associations, then trigger you to react accordingly.
Steps to Take When Navigating Emotional Hardship
Awareness of Your Emotional Hardship
A fluctuation in our emotions is a normal part of life. Learning to manage them by first becoming aware of them can be extremely helpful in the process. When you feel an emotion, stop and think about it logically. Think of this process as peeling back the layers of an onion. The first layer is the surface level of emotion. Maybe you react to a situation with anger. The second layer, ask yourself what emotion are you feeling and if it’s something deeper than the surface level emotion. Maybe that anger you reacted with is really sadness. The third layer of the onion is asking yourself why you’re feeling that way. This process can help you become better aware of your emotions and what is really going on.
Practice Self-Compassion
The key to navigating emotional hardship is to allow your emotions to come up. Give yourself permission to feel however you want and accept them with self-compassion. It’s okay to be emotionally affected by the pandemic. Any emotion that comes up throughout the day, feel it, let it pass, and be accepting of it. After all, we are all human and our emotions feel very real.
Focus On Your Relationships
Nurturing important relationships during this time of emotional hardship can not only help you improve the relationship overall, but get you out of your head. Human connection can be the best cure for a bad mood. Turning to family and friends for support can give you a sense of belonging and emotional connection. We are all in this together, don’t forget to reach out to family and friends if you need to talk or need a good laugh during the day. Additionally, don’t be afraid to distance yourself from relationships that take too much out of you emotionally right now.
How Xen Uses Vagus Nerve Stimulation (VNS) to Navigate Emotional Hardship
Xen is a wellness resource that stimulates your vagus nerve, which may provide your mind and body with numerous health benefits. Xen may help you get better sleep, stress less, acquire more tranquility, enhance your focus, reduce negative cravings, and last but not least, Xen may promote a brighter mood. Xen by Neuvana may increase positive thinking to improve your mood and sense of well-being during this time. Many people who use Xen for just one week at 15 minutes twice a day have been seeing a difference in their overall wellness. With the Neuvana App, Xen users are able to customize their sessions, choose waveforms, and adjust the intensity to find what works best for them. Plus, Xen syncs to your music streaming apps to help the Xen user reach even deeper relaxation by listening to their favorite music or sounds. By leveraging how the brain, body, and nervous system work together, Xen by Neuvana can create happier, healthier, and more balanced lives.
It Will Pass
Remember, it will pass. Your emotional hardship along with this pandemic will pass. Know that the emotional turbulence you’re experiencing will not be permanent and you will get through all of this. There is a lot of news information that can, understandably, bring you down and tank your outlook on these difficult situations. However, remember that there is only so much that we can control. Do what you can for yourself and your loved ones. We all know the CDC’s social distancing guidelines by now, so do your best to follow them and minimize your exposure to news and COVID-19 updates if you notice it bringing you down. Allowing yourself to be drawn into the endless news-loop can negatively affect your emotional and physical health. This will run its course and you’ll be stronger because of it. Try to focus on staying positive, healthy, and safe.
Other Neuvana related blogs:
-https://neuvanalife.com/10-hacks-for-anxiety-and-stress-relief/
-https://neuvanalife.com/7-of-the-most-effective-biohacks-for-stress-relief/
