The Wheel of Emotions

During our discussion of Brene Brown’s book, Atlas of the Heart, at our Yoga Book Club last week, we were remarking on what she wrote about how limited people’s emotional vocabularies tend to be. On average, most people can name only three emotions: glad, sad and mad. It got me thinking about my online self-paced wellness course, Stop Sabotaging Your Self Care, in which I include a Wheel of Emotions (pictured above). I added it to the course because some of us may need a little extra help getting in touch with how we feel. Especially if you’re a giver (for example, a parent, an educator, a healthcare provider, etc), a Highly Sensitive Person, or you were just trained by your family to take care of others’ needs before your own, you may not have had a lot of practice asking yourself how YOU feel.

I know when I started asking myself this question during my own self-care journey, it was a real eye-opener for me. When I really stopped and listened for the answer, I was surprised at how many times it was, “Stressed out.” I realized that I rarely contemplated how I felt, much less what I needed. I just kept barreling through my never-ending, small business owner to-do list, and attempting to live up to other people’s expectations…and continued feeling stressed out, which was having a negative impact on my health and relationships. I bet you can relate.

Whether you use the Wheel of Emotions or not, getting in touch with your emotions and asking yourself how you feel is just one of the first steps you can take to live a healthier, less stressful life. Listening for the answer and then acting on that answer are the next steps, which I know are not easy–and may even ruffle other people’s feathers. If you’re looking for a little help with those steps, I share so much good advice and support on these topics in my compact but powerful Self Care course. I have done this work myself, and acknowledge that it is not always easy or comfortable, but I promise that if you do it you will end up feeling SO MUCH BETTER!

 

If you’re ready to take better care of yourself, my Stop Sabotaging Your Self Care course might just be the accountability partner you need. I would be honored to support you on your journey. Let’s get started today!