The Aspirational Mind
Reaching for a better future
A more functional way to think about the human mind
FEELINGS GUIDE
To quickly shift your state - particularly when you are getting caught up in emotion
The Feelings Guide helps us to connect with our feelings in a meaningful way, to gain insight and to reduce uncomfortable feelings.
Breathe! ALL the way through. Check this link for a simple technique: Breath of Life.
FEELINGS GUIDE: Simplest Description
Step 1. Stand and move as appropriate.
Step 2. Still the mind and allow yourself to connect with your feelings.
Step 3. Say out loud "Right now I feel..." and name the feeling.
Step 4. Continue stating your feelings until you experience a shift of some kind.
Here is some more information about the steps:
FEELINGS GUIDE: How to use it
Step 1. Stand and move as appropriate.
I find this normally works best when I stand and I can move about. I'll often choose to do this out of doors, but that is not essential. Some people can connect with their feelings better when they move about as movement creates a form of kinesthetic feedback.
If you are not able to stand or move, don't worry and just go for it anyway.
Step 2. Still the mind and allow yourself to connect with your feelings.
Still the mind; as far as is possible no thoughts, no story, and no judgements ? these can all wait for later.
It may help to bring a particular situation or event to mind if you know that this is associated with your feelings.
Step 3. Say out loud "Right now I feel..." and name the feeling.
It works best if you can use your voice but it is not essential. If you are amongst other people who do not know what you are doing then it is probably best not to scare them - just think to yourself "Right now I feel..." and name the feeling.
Don't try to predict what the feeling is and don't be surprised if the feeling is different each time you voice it. Feelings are naturally fluid and this guide invites them to change.
You might find yourself saying something like: "Right now I feel a little scared".
And then: "Right now I feel angry".
And then: "Right now I feel hot and bothered." and so on.
State whatever is true for you in the moment about your feelings and allow yourself to feel it.
Note: There is no need to act your emotions out. Simply recognising your feelings and naming them allows the feelings to shift and change. We often try to ignore our feelings and the consequence of this is that the feelings can tend to grow. I think of this as our Preconscious Mind at work. Feelings are produced by our Preconscious Mind and are produced for a good reason. If we try to ignore our feelings then that part of our Preconscious Mind will just continue to do its job and may well produce even stronger feelings. When we demonstrate that we have felt the feelings, by naming the feeling out loud, then the job of that part of the Preconscious Mind is done, and it will stop producing the feelings.
Step 4. Continue stating your feelings until you experience a shift of some kind.
If you shift to another strong feeling you may wish to continue and state the new feeling, and another, and another, and another.
Often, when you release feelings in this way you will end up feeling relief or you may feel pleasure or nothing much at all.