Help for Anxiety and Depression in Midlothian, Texas
Put It Away: When you’re feeling anxious
Often times when you “put away” your emotions, it’s because you’re trying to minimize, avoid or deny the pain you feel and probably don’t even recognize you’re doing it.
Who wants to experience pain? So you look for ways to cope…it’s normal!
However, if you continue to run away from the pain, ignore it, or brush it under the rug it will eventually surface - and more than likely in unhealthy ways.
For example, when you push a beach ball under the water and then let it go, what happens? Yep, that beach ball shoots out of the water! But, you never know which direction or how high it will go.
Much like that beach ball, once you reach your emotional capacity, your emotions WILL resurface…and when they do…it might take you by surprise.
So, what are you supposed to do with all of your BIG feelings?
Contain your emotions
This exercise will help you to create a place to contain your memories, thoughts, and emotions temporarily until you are ready to unpack them - when you feel safe and when you have someone to help you unpack them.
What are you feeling right now?
If it’s difficult to label your feeling, you can use this feeling wheel to help.
Before beginning your containment exercise, check in with yourself:
On a scale from 1 - 10 (10 is the worst and 1 is the least), where is my _______(list your feeling word) right now?
Write it down in your journal.
After completing your containment exercise, check in with yourself again:
On a scale from 1 - 10 (10 is the worst and 1 is the least), where is my _______(list your feeling word) right now?
Write it down in your journal.
Pay attention to how you are feeling now and write about your experience in your journal to share with me at your next session.
The Container
Amy Standifer, MA, LPC
Owner/Therapist
free resources for anxiety & depression
“I have learned now that while those who speak about one’s miseries usually hurt, those who keep silence hurt more.”
