How To Cope With Emotions

This is one of my biggest personal struggles: emotional dis-regulation. I think it's very easy to be overwhelmed with our emotions. We are constantly taking in a ton of stimulation and it's really important to be aware of how it affects us and how we feel. Currently I feel as if I have a billion emotions because school just ended on a very positive note and now summer is starting. I don't know whether I am coming or going. I can control all the physical aspects; my diet, workout, and environment, but what it really comes down to it- I need to take care of the mental aspect. So how do we face our emotions? Maybe we often put ourselves in negative situations to avoid them and just make it worse. As scary as it may seem, it's important to face them. Recognize what is bothering you and make a change. Seems simple, right? I wrote my wonderful mindfulness teacher, Miss Casey, and she sent me the awesomest email. The one lesson or tool that stood out the most was to talk to the little "voice" or "person" that is causing my strong emotions. Talk directly to each emotion as if you were talking to a person and listen to their wisdom. You could ask "Why are you here?", "What do you have to teach me?", or "How can I best handle you?". Don't be close-minded, as easy as it can to be,  instead listen to what the answers are. As Miss Casey told me, "If you do, you may learn some very important things about their function in your life." Ahhh....did I feel better just after reading that! In addition to talking to those emotions, I wrote down everything I was feeling and why. Then I turned each emotion around with an affirmation. One thing that has been bothering me and causing me to feel anxious is the lack of structure during the summer. So I wrote "I understand and accept that I feel anxious, but I know I can handle the lack of structure and make the best use out of my time." Before saying this I felt too dis-regulated to even write a blog post, but after I accepted and understood my emotion, I felt regulated enough to get work done. The lesson here is to listen to and accept your emotions.