Feeling Overwhelmed? Remember All Feelings Are Temporary


Even after years of recovery, we may have a problem with realizing that EVERYTHING is temporary, including thoughts and emotions.

Today I got up feeling overwhelmed by the fact that I’m moving to Washington, D.C. at the end of August. I can’t believe how many things I’ve accumulated over 16 years of living on the West coast; from clothes, to dvds to Disneyland memorabilia. Looking through my office and home over the past few days filled me with an overwhelming sense of anxiety, shame and sadness. 

I feel anxious because I have to sift through so much stuff and decide what to keep and what to get rid of. I’m also anxious over hiring a moving company. I’ve contacted five 4-5 Star rated moving companies. Afterwards, I went to a federal government website and learned that four of the five had multiple complaints lodged against them. That may make my choice easier, but it also makes me feel uneasy in general.

I feel shame over the fact that I have accumulated so much stuff, and the fact that much of it means little to nothing to me now. Purchasing these things was all about emotional medicating during difficult times, instead of facing my dark feelings and allowing them to pass through me while strengthening me. Instead, I took the easy way out— Just buy something and you’ll feel better instantly. The curse of addiction based in emotional logic.

And I feel sadness because I’m realizing more and more that I have to leave behind a ministry I love— directing 12 Step retreats— for a new one, communications. I am also beginning to face my denial about all of the people, friends and support I’m going to miss after living on the West coast for so long. The last days of August are going to be filled with sadness and hurt a lot.

As I was feeling overwhelmed by all these feelings earlier this morning, I gave them total control over me, allowed them to make me feel bad enough to die, instead of reminding myself that they are all natural feelings that everyone experiences in this type of situation. And I forgot to remind myself that they are all temporary. I didn’t have to attach to them and give them complete power over me.

Next time we feel overwhelmed, anxious, shameful, sad, etc., we need to remind ourselves that these feelings are necessary and have something positive to teach us. We also need to remind ourselves that they— and all feelings— are temporary. We don’t have to become attached to them, become them and allow them to overpower us. We can call on our Higher Power to help us process them or we can call a trusted friend and talk about our emotional struggle to regain clarity of mind.

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