Emotional Equilibrium: Cruising through Life’s Roller Coaster

Have you been through phases where your emotions took more highs and dips than being on a roller-coaster? You were totally battered, hair all over the place, shaken without respite and wanted out. You made it out but then a while later it started all over again, triggered by something or the other. There is an element of excitement here, but it is soon swallowed up by the repercussions of constant upheavals.

It is quite common for individuals to experience emotional ups and downs in life. We sometimes face extremely stressful situations where regulating our emotions can be difficult. It is a part of life. However, when your emotions are consistently on a roller-coaster and when it is rather challenging to maintain a sense of balance and well-being, it is time to do something about it. It impacts your health negatively and can have long-term consequences which will be detrimental to you and those around you. Learn to regulate your emotions and create a sense of equilibrium, calm and harmony inside yourself. Your future self will thank you and so will the people around you!

You see, we have the possibility to gain control over ourselves and our emotional states if we choose to take responsibility for ourselves. This will not guarantee complete emotional management, but you will certainly not be rushing up and down the Russian mountains constantly!

From my experience, I would suggest a few strategies to help you manage these emotional fluctuations:

Slow down and Incorporate mindfulness techniques into your daily routine. Mindfulness can help you become more aware of your emotions as they arise, allowing you to respond to them in a more balanced way. Also, consider incorporating meditation into your daily routine. Meditation can help calm your mind and reduce the intensity of emotional highs and lows, besides helping your brain remove toxins. Slowing down is good for you and your nervous system. Breathing exercises are an added benefit for your entire being.

Keep a journal to jot down your feelings and thoughts. While at it, allow yourself to reflect on the positive aspects of your life and write them down. This can help shift your focus toward the things that bring you joy and contentment. Gratitude is a game-changer. Eventually, your default mode will become gratitude and appreciation for all the wonderful things around you!

Learn to focus on positive self-talk and empowering affirmations. Replacing negative thoughts with positive ones can help shift your emotional state towards greater optimism. This may take some practice at the beginning but gets easier as you go along. Negative thoughts suck the energy out of you while positive thoughts uplift and empower you!

While mindfulness is key, there are also plenty of NLP (Neuro-Linguistic Programming) and CBT (Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy) techniques that you can utilize to reframe and manage your emotions more effectively.

Here is one called “Thought Challenging” or “Cognitive Restructuring.” Here’s how to use it:

1. Identify the Emotion: When you find yourself on an emotional roller coaster, pause and identify the specific emotion you’re experiencing. Is it anger, sadness, anxiety, or something else? Make sure that you ask yourself if the word you are using is appropriate for what you are feeling.
2. Identify the Negative Thought: Pay attention to the thoughts that are contributing to this emotion. These thoughts are often on automatic-pilot, fear-based and negative. For example, if you’re feeling anxious, your thoughts might be, “I can’t handle this situation,” or “Something terrible is going to happen.”

• Challenge the Negative Thought: Once you have identified the negative thought, ask yourself these questions:
• Is this thought based on facts and evidence? Often, our automatic thoughts are not rooted in reality. Become a detective!
• What’s the worst that could happen, and is it likely to happen? This helps you put your thoughts in perspective.
• What’s a more balanced or realistic way to think about this situation? Try to reframe your negative thought into a more neutral or positive one.
• Replace with a Balanced Thought: Create a more balanced and rational thought based on your answers to the questions above. For example, if your initial thought was, “I can’t handle this situation,” you might reframe it as, “This situation is challenging, but I have faced challenges before and found solutions.”
• Practice creates great results: It is essential to practice this technique regularly. Whenever you notice yourself caught in an emotional roller coaster, apply thought challenging to reframe your thoughts more positively and realistically.

CBT techniques like this can be highly effective in helping you gain better control over your emotions and reduce the intensity of emotional fluctuations. Sometimes it can be challenging to do this on your own. A good Coach or CBT therapist can guide you through the process.

If your emotional roller coaster is causing significant distress, consider consulting with a practitioner, counsellor, therapist, or life coach. The experts can provide you with tailored strategies and support for your emotional well-being and your investment will bring unexpectedly massive returns.

It is natural at times to have major fluctuations in emotions, but with the right strategies, support, and techniques from these and similar approaches, you can regulate the roller coasters of your emotions more smoothly and achieve a greater sense of emotional stability.

As a mindfulness practitioner and life-design counsellor, I help clients focus on well-being and personal growth and make life choices that prioritize their mental and emotional health. This leads to personal freedom and independence allowing the person to blossom and manifest the life they deserve. Reach out if you require help and guidance.