Handling emotional emergencies
Specific steps on what to do
There are things in life that we don't want to happen.
Like losing something precious, conflicts with friends, breakups, or other unexpected setbacks.
And they can be painful and throw your whole system into a state of confusion and emergency. The whole structure of the day breaks down and you don't really know what to do.
These things happen, even when they are not the norm. Still, it helps to prepare for them, so they are as pleasant as possible.
For me, the best way to deal with these situations is always the same:
Go for a run
Take care of my body and the space around me
Meet up with friends to cheer me up.
So far, these steps have helped me countless times. In those moments when it's hard to think, all I know is "this is an emotional emergency" and then I just do these steps one after the other. They help me "reset" and get a handle on the situation.
Just this week I experienced the power of this basic routine again, and I'm grateful to my past self for having figured it out. Since I found it so helpful, I want to take some time to refine it, so I’m better prepared for next time.
I invite you to join me in this reflection. Let’s go ✨
💡 Reflecting on handling emotional emergencies
(Like always, you can download the Notion template to take structured notes.)
What actions do you take when someone close to you is feeling down?
What can you learn about yourself through this? Would you wish for something similar when you are feeling down yourself?
What activities bring you the most joy and peace?
And what activities help you ground yourself? Would some of these activities also work in emotionally tense moments?
What specific steps could you take in an emotional emergency?
Write down the exact sequence of steps of things that help you cope with emotionally challenging situations.
🙏 Thanks!
Thank you for reading and for being part of Mental Garden. As always, I sincerely hope you found this email useful. And I also hope you won’t have any emotional emergency for a very long time 😅
Enjoy your summer, and have a nice weekend 🤗
With gratitude,
Marc