All feelings are ok and valid but they do not have to rule you, they can pass through you. Negative emotions serve a purpose, it’s our mind’s way of trying to keep us safe. They can show us when we need to make a change, when we are uncomfortable with something, that our boundaries have been crossed. However, there are also times when our minds become overbearing and even irrational. They prevent us from enjoying what is happening right in front of us.
When this happens, acknowledge the negative emotions-say them out loud and give them recognition. Thank them for trying to protect you and assure them that you are capable of protecting yourself. Acknowledge that you’ve got it from here, that you are safe and that you are protected. And then release the negativity. Learn to trust in yourself. Believe that you can handle what comes when and if it comes. But don’t let the ifs prevent you from embracing the now.
It’s important to recognize that negative emotions are not the same as negative self-talk. Negative self-talk is not the same as your mind telling you a certain person makes you feel uneasy or you’re uncomfortable in a certain situation. As you get to know yourself more, you’ll be able to better differentiate between situations where your learned beliefs are bullying you and situations where your true self is trying to tell you a situation is not for you.
Begin a practice of letting the negative thoughts drift back to where they came from, nowhere.