How often do you find yourself caught up in negative feelings?

Fear, Worry, Doubt, Anxiety, Frustration, Anger….

There are a whole range of emotions which we experience which can really get in our way.

Most of these emotions evolved to protect us. We learned fear in order to allow us to fight or flee from the sabre-toothed tiger. We worried or felt anxious so that we were on our guard from threats outside the protection of the cave. We got angry or frustrated so we were able to draw on our strength and get out of danger.

The emotions we feel don’t live in our minds – they live in our bodies. A whole range of hormones are released and generate sensations in the body.

Just think about the last time you felt worried for example. How did it actually feel? It might have been a tightness in your stomach, or fast breath, or tingling fingers and toes. Your shoulders may have scrunched up and you may have gritted your teeth.

All these sensations are physical. Your body is the owner of your feelings.

When you were very small, your feelings would be as a result of thoughts. You were exploring the world and, as you experienced things your mind would generate thoughts which would in turn trigger feelings. Over time, habits would form and before you knew it, you would start to experience feelings which weren’t led by a thought.

Your mind started to relinquish control to your body.

I’m sure you can think of occasions when that has happened. You might wake up and, for no good reason, feel cross or stressed or happy or excited. That’s your body taking the lead. No thought was involved – just a release of hormones (sometime triggered by something quite different, like too much cheese before bedtime) generating feelings.

The challenge comes where those feelings start to spiral out of control. You feel anxious, you aren’t sure why, your mind tries to find a reason and creates a drama, making you feel more anxious… and round and round it goes. In extreme cases, this can lead to panic attacks, phobias and depression and can be massively debilitating – even leading to self-harming or suicide.

So how can you take control of these feelings and give your thinking the lead position once more?

It starts by being aware and by tuning in to your body. If you feel stressed or afraid, acknowledge the physical sensations: tightness, breathing, tingling, pain… start to focus on releasing those sensations, so your body can relax and come out of the state of alert.

By tuning in and taking just a few moments to recognise the feelings for what they are – chemical reactions and sensations – you are putting your thinking in charge.

If you want to think greater than you feel and transform every aspect of your life, then take a look at my free online training: The 3 Secrets To Transform Your Life Today And Become A Leader People Want To Follow at https://petecohen.com/coaching/