What strategies do I use to cope with negative feelings?
- I take a long hot bubble bath. This helps me decompress, gain perspective and start to make a plan.
- I empower myself with this plan so I can be skillful in the situation that has created negative feelings. This includes:
- Writing out a Cognitive Processing Therapy (CPT) ABC Worksheet – this helps me move out of the fear-based Stuck Point that is perpetuating the negative feelings.
- Journal writing – for clarity.
- Riding hard and fast on my exercise bike.
- Listening to guided meditations for calming my nervous system.
- Bringing myself back to the present moment and out of my monkey mind of negative thoughts.
- Telling myself – I can handle whatever happens.
- Telling myself – to have faith in myself – I can navigate difficult situations.
- I attend an AA Meeting and/or a Recovery Dharma Meeting – to connect with others willing to share their vulnerabilities, experience, strength and hope.
In life, there is suffering. The only way I can stop suffering is to:
- understand the suffering starts with me – and my inability to accept a person, place or thing as it is or I have a craving for something.
- that I must accept what is rather than how I want it to be – and that less craving leads to less suffering
- be willing to do the work to make the necessary changes to transform into peace.
Then I let go and trust all will eventually be well.
S, 🌻
