Knowing what we are feeling is healthy and necessary. Only by experiencing our emotions can we regulate them effectively. Stuffing or bottling up feelings can lead to explosions. I think of it like a soda bottle that is shaken up and opened quickly, it explodes everywhere! As humans, we do not have the option of whether to get shaken, it will happen, and we must find a way to release our emotions slowing to avoid an explosion.

The following definitions will be important for understanding the upcoming posts about emotions.

• Warning signs: These are what our bodies do when building up to an intense emotion. An example is when getting up onto a stage, many of us may experience anxiety in the form of a rapid heartbeat and sweaty palms. Noticing these clues can allow us to adjust our emotions if needed.
• Triggers: This can be a situation, smell, word, noise, or anything else that elicits an emotion. Triggers are often associated with anger, but can actually be for any emotion. We will get into these in detail later.
• Coping Skills: When we get a small cut, a band aid and ointment are used to provide temporary relief. Coping skills are similar in that they are a great help in the moment, but the underlying issues take time to heal. Coping skills can be both internal and external. Most people have several external coping skills, these are things outside of ourselves that could be taken away or restricted. Examples include reading, running, music, and writing. Developing internal skills is essential because they can be used in any situation regardless of our surroundings. Examples of internal coping skills are deep breathing, counting, spelling words backwards, and finger touches.

In the following weeks, we will be exploring several different emotions by defining them, learning what the body does, ways to cope with extreme emotions, and reviewing ways to express the wide range of feelings we all experience in life.