Groundhog's Day Emotions

 

In honor of Groundhog's Day on Wednesday I wanted to talk about rumination. 

We have previously talked about emotions and the chemical components in our bodies lasting about 90 seconds and then dissipating. After the 90 seconds what is left of the emotion is what is called rumination.  

One of the best things we can do for ourselves and our students is to allow a feeling to exist. Denying an emotion does not change that it exists, but rather creates the opportunity to ruminate.

When a child is upset, let them know that you understand they are feeling an unpleasant/difficult/challenging emotion. Then encourage them to sit with the emotion, breathe through the emotion, and ask the questions to understand the emotion. You may need to help them the first few times.

Our emotions are not right or wrong, good or bad; they are pleasant or unpleasant. Our emotions are real and for a reason. Telling someone to stop feeling something will not help them, or you. 

To help reduce the risk of a groundhog's day emotion, challenge yourself and your students to experience the emotion, understand the emotion, get help if needed, and move on.

Utilizing the Mood Meter is a great way to help yourself and your students with the task of feeling emotions and reducing rumination.

As we consider our emotions we will become better acquainted with the "where" and "why" of them. Where did they come from? Why did they occur?

Once we are able to answer the "where" and "why" of our emotions we can then move through them.

On last weeks Hidden Brain podcast the host spoke with William Irvine. Mr. Irvine is an author and practicing stoic. Mr. Irvine shared that stoics of the past would avoid the "negative" / difficult emotions in the pursuit of controlling their emotions and self. Mr. Irvine teaches that you can be a modern stoic and learn the emotional control without ignoring the difficult emotions. 

Mr. Irvine has a "stoic test" that he likes to utilizing when presented with a time of difficult emotions. His test is to ask what he is supposed to learn from the situation.

We too can be practicing modern stoics and teach our students to be as well. 

When a challenging emotion arises ask "what am I supposed to learn from this emotion/ this situation?"

Mindful Stoicism not Groundhog's Day Emotions. 

What can you learn to help you move on?