Co-existing Feelings

Allow yourself space to feel many, sometimes seemingly conflicting, things at once. We rarely feel only one emotion at a time. Sadness, fear, anger, hope, relief, joy… these feelings can all co-exist without canceling or invalidating each other.

When I find myself experiencing a range of feelings and grasping to make sense of them, I head to a place I find calming and go for a short walk, turning my attention inward.

As feelings arise, I turn towards them. I notice how they feel in my body, whether they affect my breathing, and how they affect my thinking- does my brain get busier and louder? does it relax? do I find myself reaching towards the past or looking to the future?

I set aside any judgement on my feelings as they arise. They do not have to make sense or be contextualized. My goal is not to “solve” anything, but to get a clearer picture of my emotional landscape- to simply give myself space and permission to feel the wide range of things I’m feeling in a given moment.

Prompt by: Dale Mackey and Shawn Poynter