Mindful Living

 Avoidance of feelings is usually seen as negative but are there times when we are so emotionally flooded by feelings that it's actually a good thing to temporarily avoid feelings?  It is part of the human experience to become flooded by feelings and it takes self-awareness to be able to identify what feelings are coming up and whether or not it’s appropriate to allow oneself to feel what you’re feeling in the moment. There are times when “healthy avoidance” makes sense and it’s what’s needed to be able to effectively function and move through the day. A better way to refer to this is having emotional maturity, which is to have self-control to manage your emotions, without reacting to them, and knowing how and when to respond to what you’re feeling. What are some ways to engage in 'healthy avoidance'?   Commit to becoming an emotionally mature individual and practice doing so daily. Notice what you’re feeling and pay attention to who or what caused the feeling to come to th

 What is stress? What are the symptoms of stress? [both physical and emotional symptoms]. There are three types of stress that one can experience known as acute stress, episodic acute stress, or chronic stress. Regardless of which type, stress is a state of worry caused by difficult situations personally or professionally. It’s how we react when we feel under pressure or even threatened. Stress is typically sparked by a situation where we feel we can’t manage or control what’s happening to us or around us. Emotional and physical symptoms of stress can include but aren’t limited to feeling overwhelmed or unable to cope, feeling tense or on edge, agitation or irritability, disruption to appetite and sleep patterns, feeling exhausted and unable to think clearly, struggling with concentration and/or decision making, experiencing headaches and even gut issues. How is stress diagnosed? How does long-term stress impact your body? Stress is not something that can be measured as it’s subjective