What am I really feeling?
This week (May 3 - May 9) is the 70th edition of the Canadian Mental Health Association’s (CMHA) Mental Health Week, an annual awareness campaign to promote understanding and provide tools to maintain positive mental health. This year’s theme “Name it, Don’t Numb it,” focuses on emotional regulation and understanding how we feel. In other words, recognizing, responding to, and expressing our emotions mindfully. The act of naming, reflecting, and conveying our emotions deliberately brings them out of the shadows and into the light. As we know, most things are scarier in the dark, therefore this process allows us to examine our emotions clearly in order to regain personal control.
We label certain emotions as positive and others as negative. This gives the impression that some emotions are to be avoided. In reality, all are valid and the ability to experience a large range of feelings is an asset which can benefit our health both mentally and physically. Talking about our negative emotions with someone we trust can provide an opportunity to unpack what prompted them, how they manifested, and why we responded the way we did. This self-reflection can empower us and positively impact our interpersonal relationships.
If talking about your emotions seems overwhelming, you could also try writing them down. Whether you are speaking out loud or writing it down, the most important aspect is to use words to identify your experience. Labelling feelings or thoughts can have the effect of releasing them from our minds. Providing ourselves with opportunities to examine and express our emotions helps us to let go of obsessive thoughts, lessens stress hormone (cortisol) levels in our brains, reduces activity in the amygdala (the part of our brain that produces the fear response), and lowers physiological reactions (upset stomach, headache, etc.). Sometimes it is hard to find the words to classify our emotions, and sometimes a strong emotion (ex. anger) can hide what lies underneath (ex. disappointment). CMHA has provided a vocabulary list that represents a vast range of emotions to get you started at: https:// mentalhealthweek.ca/more-thansimply-fine. As with any important skill, emotional literacy improves with practice. Once our ability to identify our emotions improves, it becomes easier to recognize what we are actually feeling and to manage our responses appropriately. When we accurately label our emotions, we can regulate our reactions by removing ourselves from challenging settings or conversations, changing our mindset, or choosing to avoid triggering situations in the future.
Occasionally, our emotions can overwhelm us and impact our ability to be productive and focused. Try to be compassionate with yourself, the world is in a rough place right now and many of us are having a hard time accepting and navigating our current reality. There is no need to pass judgement on yourself if you are struggling. Many Canadians have experienced a decline in their mental health over the past several months. You are not alone. However, if this persists we encourage you to seek help. Most people who seek professional help recover and go on to lead satisfying lives. Some resources available in Estrie and throughout Canada include:
• Info-santé: 811 (Option 1: nurse, Option 2: social worker)
JEVI – Center for suicide prevention : 819-564-1354 Provincial helpline for suicide prevention: 1-866-APPELLE (1866-277-3553)
CHUS Hotel-dieu & Fleurimont Hospitals: 819-346-1110
Order of Psychologists (Hotline to find a psychologist near you): 1-800-561-1223
Mental Health and Substance Use Support Website: www. wellnesstogether.ca/en-ca Well-being resources for Canadians during the COVID-19 pandemic: www.wellcan.ca Mental Health Estrie (MHE) is a non-profit community organization committed to providing information, support, education and advocacy to English-speaking families and individuals in Estrie impacted by mental illness. Services are currently available remotely by phone (819-5653777) and email (mhe.info@bellnet.ca). We invite you to “like” our Facebook page https://www.facebook.com/ Mentalhealthestrie/ for updates and links to articles, guides and ideas for coping strategies or visit our website at mentalhealthestrie.com.
For further information about this topic, coping strategies, tools, and further insight into Mental Health Week 2021 visit www. mentalhealthweek.ca
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