So you're feeling a tough emotion (sadness, anger, disappointment, jealousy, resentment). Completely fair and valid and wonderful that you've recognized it. It's not wrong. It's an indicator that something wasn't comfortable for you. Honor it.
Now what to do with those types of emotions:
1. Feel them.
Take a pause. Maybe you excuse yourself. Maybe you wait until you're home. Identify the emotion. Place a hand on the part of your body you feel the tension the hardest in. Breathe. Let yourself experience it uninterruptedly until it softens a bit.
2. Transmute them.
Vent (consensually). Shake it off. Work it out. Breathe into it more. Journal about it. Meditate on it. Whatever safely helps you move it through.
3. Learn from them.
Every emotion is a teacher. Has your disappointment shown you an area to expect less next time? Has your sadness shown you what really matters to you? Has your anger shown you where your boundaries were crossed? Has your jealousy shown you where you need to find security? Ask for the lessons to be revealed and be open to them. They're there.
4. Thank them for showing you valuable information.
Once the lessons are discovered, mentally thank them, yourself, anyone else involved and the emotions for leading you to this discovery. You don't need to go writing cards for everyone who made you feel upset, but finding some gratitude for the greater lessons at play keeps you in forward momentum with a happier heart. Look what you know now. Look how you've grown. Look how your body looks out for you.
5. (Bonus): Find compassion for the other person's humanness.
This part is extra credit, but the truth of the matter is, this is the real freedom. Finding compassion allows you to take the blame and the victimization out of the story. It allows you to see the humanness in the other person/people involved (if there are any). It allows the entire thing to be softer... and most importantly, more true.
Do you need help dealing with tough emotions? Please reach out to me for a 1:1. Let's help set you free.
