Three Easy, Embodied Ways to Contain Difficult Emotions
Feelings can overwhelm.
They can be draining. And sometimes, downright scary!
Next time, don’t drown in difficult emotions. Experiment with one of these instead:
Experience The Emotion In Your Body And Mind
Explore the emotion through your bodily sensations.
How do you feel it in your body? Where is it located? What’s happening there?
Is there tension/ weakening/ numbing/ churning?
Experience it mentally, while staying in your body. See if you can feel the mind-body together.
Accept all sensations without resistance or judgement.
For me, this works best when done wordlessly.
If you feel the need to use words, keep an eye on yourself as you do it.
If you're withdrawing into your head; Pause; Breathe and Return to your body.
Move Through it
Intuitive Movement works great. It’s best done as a continuity of the first step.
The catch is that you must be in a situation where you can move around.
I find flowing, expansive movements calming.
Shaking and dancing helps many.
Experiment. Find yours.
If you’re not in a position to move your whole body, move a part.
Bringing my palms together like in prayer and applying gentle pressure on each other, is one of my favourites.
It makes me feel held and supported.
Feel for the natural movements you feel drawn to make, as you lean into the experience of your emotion.
Explore It With Somatic IFS
In IFS language, you’re overwhelmed when a part of you is too blended and obscuring your Self.
(Parts are like little people living in you and Self is your core goodness, the natural leader within you).
It’s a confusing concept if you’re new to IFS. But you can still use it practically.
Pause a moment, take a few deep breaths and close your eyes if you’d like to.
Ask yourself ‘who’s this coming from?’
You might surprised to find an answer emerge. See if you can be curious about this part and it’s reasons.
Can you locate the part in your body?
Does it have a colour, sensation or physical quality?
Ask the part if it could you step back a little.
Often, she/he heeds your request.
You’ll come back into Self energy and start feeling better (more confident, compassionate and clear).
Does it feel different in your body now? Are you more comfortable?
Note: In IFS, further work is done with the part we meet. That’s required for healing the part.
But these steps alone work well to navigate a sense of overwhelm, when you’re not in a position to do more at the moment.