It’s incredible how watching a particular movie or listening to a particular song can ignite so many emotions that we lock away deep down in our hearts. These emotions can be good or they can be bad, their nature doesn’t really matter. What matters is that they are there and that we neglect them. We could put it down to the lifestyle we have these days. Between the distraction with social media and the financial stress of our economy when do we really have the time to acknowledge all the emotions we feel throughout the day?
This was a question I started asking myself a couple of months ago. I became curious as to what emotions I felt throughout the day. On reflection I seemed to only recall those that were related to major events or which were mostly negative emotions like stress or worry. I wanted to know whether or not I felt a variety of emotions on a daily basis; because if I felt the same thing every day then how are my tomorrow’s any different from my yesterday’s?
I started paying attention to my feelings; the key was to pay attention to the more weaker feelings that I wouldn’t usually notice. Like the little moments of bliss I would feel throughout the day when I looked at the view outside, or sipped on my hot tea when it was raining, or how happy and excited I would get to see my colleagues. Paying attention to my feelings throughout the day helped me connect back to myself. The more connected I am with my feelings the more I am present in the now. I found it to be a really beautiful experience. I really can’t recall when I had stopped paying such close attention to my feelings. All I know is that I used to be more aware and suddenly I found myself in a place where I was too busy to pay attention to myself.
I try to become more and more aware, but it’s not easy with all the distractions that life throws at you. But I guess that’s what mindfulness is for; to de-clutter your thoughts and pay attention to what’s left behind. Once you take the time to pay attention to your feelings, you start noticing things that you didn’t before; as such, gaining an appreciation for small moments in your day to day life.
Be warned though, sometimes you will be faced with emotions which are unpleasant; but when you’re acknowledging your feelings they don’t tend to control you. By being aware of your emotions you can better understand what causes them and how to manage them better. Leaving you in a more blissful state than what you would usually be.
I challenge you to give this a go. Pause throughout the day, no matter what it is that you’re doing and just pay attention to what you are feeling deep down. See how many of the questions below you can start to answer.
How often do you catch yourself smiling? How often do you find yourself in awe of all that is around you? How often do you pay attention to how you feel when you’re taking a sip of water? How often do you feel proud of yourself? How often do you feel calm?
Love always
Miss Dreamer
Souloom™ 