Dear College of Education community,
So much of what is occurring in our world is causing feelings of trauma and is leading to emotional pain. “Emotional pain is a universal human experience. We all feel sadness, anxiety, and anger from time to time. Sometimes, emotional pain can linger subtly in the background. But at other times, it can feel dominant, overshadowing your day-to-day life. Anxiety, for example, can often thread itself into our routines as a constant or a lingering fear about our circumstances,” as described by the CALM app. Signs of severe emotional pain may include social withdrawal, emotional fatigue and negative thoughts, and engaging in harmful behaviors. Emotional pain can also affect us physically and could affect sleep, digestion, physical tension, cardiovascular issues, and skin conditions. This is the time to be especially caring and compassionate toward ourselves and find ways to shelter from pain when it adversely affects physical and emotional wellbeing. The CALM app offers the following ways to engage in self-care as well as resources available on this app free to all Â鶹AV employees:
1. Move your body
Regular exercise for both your body and emotional health. Physical activities like running, cycling, and brisk walking can release feel-good hormones. Exercise also provides a constructive outlet for negative emotions.
If you’re in immense emotional pain, it might be hard to motivate yourself to exercise. Try gentle, mindful movement instead like this practice from the Daily Move.
2. Try mindfulness meditation
Mindfulness practices can be a cornerstone in managing and understanding emotional pain. Engaging in mindfulness meditation, for instance, can allow you to observe your painful emotions without becoming entwined with them. It presents a non-judgmental space where you can observe your emotional distress without being overwhelmed. To manage anxiety-related emotional pain, our can help soothe and guide you.
3. Feel your feelings
Suppressing emotions emotional pain worse. Identifying your is a mindfulness technique come in particularly helpful with emotional pain. Exploring feelings can be tough. If you need some guidance, check out Calm’s for starters.
4. Create a healthy lifestyle and healthy habits
A balanced lifestyle, including nutritious eating and adequate sleep, the foundation for managing emotional pain more effectively. Proper nutrition fortifies the body, while ensures you’re well-rested, so you’re equipped with the energy to navigate your feelings in a healthy and constructive manner. Sometimes emotional pain can be soothed by a good night’s rest. If you’re having trouble relaxing in the evening, try .
5. Reach out to your support network
Whether through family members, loved ones, or professionals like a psychiatrist or therapist, establishing a network of support is important in managing emotional pain. Feeling safe to express painful feelings can relieve isolation and provide practical and emotional care during difficult times.
6. Find a creative outlet to express your emotional pain
Creative activities like writing, painting, or playing music can become outlets for emotional pain, providing a space for expression and reflection. Immersing yourself in a creative pursuit offers a diversion from emotional distress, allowing for exploring painful emotions in a safe and constructive environment.
Tap into your creative potential with our with Elizabeth Gilbert.
7. Explore grounding techniques
are practical tools you can use when emotional pain feels overwhelming. These strategies focus on bringing your attention back to the present moment, helping you feel more grounded in distressing emotions.
By focusing on the immediate surroundings or your own bodily sensations, you give yourself a breather from the intensity of the pain, making it easier to navigate those challenging moments. Check out the to bring your awareness away from emotional pain and back to your senses.
8. Seek professional advice
Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) is a form of psychotherapy that can help you understand and alter detrimental patterns of thought and behavior. In some instances, a mental health professional might recommend medications such as antidepressants to manage emotional pain, especially when it becomes debilitating or persistent. This approach, often combined with other forms of therapy, can provide additional support in managing, and eventually healing, emotional pain.
To read more about these resources, go to
TO ACCESS THE CALM APP FREE TO ALL Â鶹AV EMPLOYEES, GO TO: /benefits/worklife-balance-resources/calm
For a list of other self-care options, you can also go to our COE self-care website for resources for faculty, staff, students, and the community at /eisner-education/self-care/articles-information-self-care
May we all find ways to care for ourselves, especially ways to shelter from serious emotional pain.
Warmly,
Shari