Today’s blog post is a bit unusual. I am always in search of the new ways to bring you valuable information. And today, I am pleased to share this article with you that was kindly written by my friend, Jiselle Gilliard from Mighty Emotions. Jiselle is an Emotional Resilience Coach, or how she calls herself, an Emotional Fitness Instructor. And if you want to learn more about your emotions, about how you feel, why you feel that way and what you can do about it, I highly recommend that you check out Jiselle’s work.
Alright, without further ado, let’s dive into what a sadness slump is, and how you can release sadness in the right way.
Sadness, like all of our emotions, is an inevitable part of life. Anytime things shift or change, whether ‘good’ or ‘bad’, we will experience feelings of sadness. Sometimes this feels strongly like grief. Other times we may just feel slightly “off” in some way; drained of our energy and not able to muster the momentum we need to get things done.
Unlike some emotions which are easier to push past, sadness can linger a long time. It can feel like we aren’t moving forward or we are “stuck”. Sometimes it can feel as if we are depressed.
Getting through sadness is less about “processing” things and more about accepting where we are and taking care of ourselves.
In my signature Getting Back To You coaching program, I teach my clients how to build a Sadness Survival Kit so that when moments of sadness seem like they are going on for a long time, they have the tools that they need to heal and move forward more quickly. It’s less about rushing the process and more about knowing that when you address the right things (your needs) the sadness is no longer needed and we can shift more naturally into a positive and aligned state.
I want to share the 3 steps to building your Sadness Survival Kit so that if you find yourself in a slump that you can’t seem to get out of, you can have more hope and be more empowered to take aligned action and feel connected to yourself and the world again.
How to Build Your Sadness Survival Kit
In order to get unstuck from sadness, we need to practice the following in this order:
- Self-soothing
- Support
- Self-Care
Self-Soothing
Self-Soothing is about being able to regulate our emotions. Processing them in our bodies and getting out of the mind. We can practice being present by engaging our senses.
Take Action: What are the sounds that are soothing to you? What are the foods that you enjoy/that comfort you? Can you notice the details of the objects in your immediate environment? What scents are relaxing to you? Do you have a comfort object that you can touch when you feel overwhelmed?
Support
Support is layered and unique to our circumstances. Each of us needs different types of support. Sometimes we need many forms of support to move through our sadness. It can be difficult to ask for help or know where to get support, which is why it’s important to seek out resources when times are good so that we are prepared when we are moving through a difficult patch.
Take Action: Where do you get emotional support? Do you have someone to talk to who can hold space for you and let you be honest about where you are at and what you are going through just so you can get it out?
What types of physical support do you need? Is there someone you can hug or get physical touch from? Do you have a massage therapist or acupuncturist?
What are the books/podcasts that motivate you and help you take on an empowered perspective when things are tough? Do you have anyone in your life that can help you shift your perspective?
What is your spiritual life like? Do you believe in a Higher Power or have a spiritual practice that can ground you and support you when moving through a period of sadness?
Self-Care
Self-care is all about restoration. Only after we regulate our emotions and get support can we be in a place to reap the benefits of self-care. This isn’t about spending money or doing anything elaborate. It’s about knowing the things that help us feel restored in each area of our lives, by meeting our essential needs in healthy ways.
Take Action: How do you rest your body? How do you rest your mind? How do you release your emotions physically? How do you connect with others or do you feel restored when you disconnect? Try a sensory deprivation activity to give your senses a rest. What are the leisure activities that make you feel rejuvenated? Make time for play. How do you connect with deeper meaning, i.e. meditation, walking in the forest, being near a body of water, etc.
Overcoming periods of sadness is going to look different for each of us. We don’t have to sit helplessly hoping that one day we will magically feel better. We don’t need to push ourselves or force ourselves to do a bunch of activities to distract ourselves or hack our minds and bodies.
Slowing down and honouring our sadness is a powerful action.
When we slow down, we can see what soothing we need, what support we need and what area of our lives we need to feel restored. This process requires that we be gentle with ourselves and take care of our needs.
I hope that you build your own Sadness Survival Kit so the next time you find yourself in a slump, you can practice soothing yourself, getting the right support, and feeling restored through genuine self-care. With these tools, you can be better prepared for when sadness does inevitably show up in your life.
Take good care of yourself.
By: Jiselle Gilliard, Emotional Resilience Coach
For more information on how to be in harmony with your emotions, contact Jiselle at:
Email: mightyemotions@gmail.com
Instagram: mighty_emotions
Podcast: The Mighty Emotions Podcast
© Mighty Emotions Coaching 2022
