D.I.Y Therapy: Seven Steps to Emotional Balance

D.I.Y. Therapy: Seven Steps to Emotional Balance

1. Pay attention to how you feel. Am I hurt, sad, anxious, unsettled or angry?

2. Choose whether to let that emotion take control. Is this a good time to feel this way or will allowing this emotion to continue cause me more problems?

3. Look at problems from a different perspective. Write down the reason you feel this way and imagine alternate ways you can feel about it.

4. Find a solution or a different path. Choose one of those alternates and go with it.

5. Be patient and loving towards yourself. Accept that like everybody, you are imperfect. Accept and love yourself for your ability to change, grow, and learn. One of my favorite sayings is, “I am perfectly imperfect.”

6. Focus on feeling good and healthy, not constantly happy. Stay balanced with breathing exercises, grounding, short meditations, or affirmations. Know that you can only do so much and that it’s okay to just be present in your situation. Work on what you can and think of the future only in terms of how you can solve problems. Don’t focus on concerns or worries because that won’t get you anywhere. As my grandma likes to say, ‘Worrying is like sitting in a rocking chair. You’re doing something, but not getting anywhere.

7. Remove unhealthy people from your life. You don’t need those who are negative and insist on pulling you into drama situations. If someone makes you feel bad or unsettled then keep them at as much a distance as possible. You deserve family and friends who respect you and your boundaries. We are all deserving of happiness despite mistakes we make. With inner peace our lives improve because we aren’t muddled with problems and worries. You decide when to soften your edges and when to set strict boundaries.

Journal Prompts:

• What emotions ruled my life today?

• What were the results of those strongest emotions?

• How could I respond differently in the future?

For more free self-care resources visit www.impoweryou.org