How to handle an emotional crisis?
We all know have faced emotional crises, isn't it? What is it?
An emotional crisis also known as mental crisis is a natural element of life. We all face emotional crisis. It is a “temporary, periodic disturbance of mental balance caused by a threat associated with the meaning of life, important values, in confrontation with important life problems. It is marked by a state of emotional tension, largely anxious“(Kubacka-Jasiecka, 2010, p. 26).
Our mind is very good manager. The moment the crisis starts it starts using its means to handle them. They are
a) Supression/ repression: The first thing that comes to our mind when we face an emotion is to supress them or repress them. Do you remember, how last time you had a fight with your husband or a close friend and you just kept your mouth shut controlling your overwhelming emotions. This suppression/repression generally happens unconsciously and then it starts making trouble in our lives. Can you recollect how you blasted on someone and you don't know why you did so. When you supress/repress consciously, your sheer purpose is to reduce the overwhelming quantity of our emotions.
b) Expression: Young ladies when your mother-in-law says something that boils your blood and you want to bash on her but you can't do. What do you do then? You quickly dial the number of your close friend and pour out your heart to her. This is nothing but expression of your emotion consciously. You know that fighting with your mother-in-law is in vain so you chose to let your near and dear ones know how you are feeling. Thus you express yourself. This is a wise way of handling your emotions without causing harm to others.
c) Escape: This method we all use explicitly. I still remember when I had a fight with my sister and I am angry on her, I will hang down my phone without giving her a chance to defend. What I am doing here is escaping the moment. We all come across stressful moments which we don't want to see. In such situation plan a trip, go out and play a game, do your choicest hobby, do gardening. What you are doing is taking yourself away from the stressor thereby reducing it.
d) Surrender of smaller aspects: This concept can be well explained with this example. Suppose you were in love with someone and wanted to grow old with him/her. Everything was going well when all of a sudden you got into a fight with him and he broke off the relationship. Your heart was shattered and you want to reconcile. You called him once but he rejected your call. Your heart is now every time drawn to him and wants to badly talk and patch up. Such moves will only drive him away. In such situation are you ready to let go the desire to reconcile. This is surrender of smaller aspects.
Apart from them, fifth one is that every strong emotion is a mix of a number of subsidary emotions.
This post is a part of Write a Page a Day at www.theblogchatter.com .
No one is free of such issues. And, for no two persons these crises are the same. They are very personal and very individualistic.
ReplyDeleteIt's also difficult for one person to explain to another what they are going through. Because it's all in the mind. It is not physical that can be seen.
For me, when I am struck by such crises, I distract myself to something that I like, in which I can fully immerse myself.
That becomes a vehicle for me to move forward, and away from the distressing situations.
Another method I adopt is to make a distinction between what is in my control and what is not. I try not bother too much about those that are not in my control and focus my time and energy on those that are in my control.
No one solutions fits all. Just as problems are personal, the solutions are also personal.
We all have individually figure out what works best for each one of us.