I am working on the Processing All The Feelings activity, and I’m experiencing a lot of meta-emotions. For example, I had an event occur, and my initial emotion was peaceful, but then I felt guilt/sorry for having that emotion. Is there a strategy for sorting out the multiple levels, or the initial emotion becomes a new event? I’m becoming more aware of my emotions, but I feel like I’m obsessing over them, too.
ANSWER
To get us started on a strategy to help you process “stacking feelings” is to understand why it happens. So, the starting point is to remember that our emotions are created by our thoughts. 1 thought creates 1 emotion.
From there, let’s look at your example: An event happens (trigger), and your brain has an opinion about it, aka a thought. That thought creates the peace.
Then you notice a new set of sensations, and you realize that now you no longer feel peaceful but instead XXX. This means that you have a different thought about the event… a different opinion.
So let me give you an example: Event happens- first thought about it creates peace. Then you replay the event in your mind and analyze differently creates a new thought. Say, your partner buys you a gift for your birthday. At first you feel happy but then as the evening goes along, you start thinking about more and think “she/he could have put more effort into finding me an original gift, “… and then you start experiencing resentment.
I would say you can move to the next Lesson 4 and begin expanding your self-coaching model which will help you put some structure to your “obsession” and make it productive time spent looking into your emotions!
ANSWER
To get us started on a strategy to help you process “stacking feelings” is to understand why it happens. So, the starting point is to remember that our emotions are created by our thoughts. 1 thought creates 1 emotion.
From there, let’s look at your example: An event happens (trigger), and your brain has an opinion about it, aka a thought. That thought creates the peace.
Then you notice a new set of sensations, and you realize that now you no longer feel peaceful but instead XXX. This means that you have a different thought about the event… a different opinion.
So let me give you an example: Event happens- first thought about it creates peace. Then you replay the event in your mind and analyze differently creates a new thought. Say, your partner buys you a gift for your birthday. At first you feel happy but then as the evening goes along, you start thinking about more and think “she/he could have put more effort into finding me an original gift, “… and then you start experiencing resentment.
I would say you can move to the next Lesson 4 and begin expanding your self-coaching model which will help you put some structure to your “obsession” and make it productive time spent looking into your emotions!