Dr. Nicole LePera
Dr. Nicole LePera

@Theholisticpsyc

11 Tweets 113 reads Feb 08, 2023
How To Stop Being Emotionally Reactive:
Emotional reactivity happens when we react to our internal emotional state.
The Emotional Reactivity Cycle:
feel emotion ----->
react to the way we feel ------->
enter into fight or flight ----------->
= survival based decision making.
When we react to our emotions, we make decisions that tend to be impulsive and that don't serve us or our true values.
The work is to practice being emotionally responsive. To be emotionally responsive is to feel our emotions, to witness them (as separate from ourselves) and to respond to our emotions rather than letting emotions drive our behavior.
How To Stop Being Emotionally Reactive:
1. Practice pausing before you react: practice this each time you feel intense emotional sensations in your body. With practice, your neural pathways will be developed and this will become easier.
2. Notice the sensations in your body: you might feel your heart racing, a clenching of your stomach, or waves of heat. Notice these and practice allowing them to be there.
3. Deep, Steady Breathing: sometimes the bodily sensations can be intense this is when we practice deep belly breathing. Take complete deep breaths which will send signals of safety your body
4. Release: allow your self to cry, shake, and move your body. This energetic release exists within all animals and allows your nervous system to rebalance.
5. Choose how you respond: processing the emotion allows us to choose how we respond. This might mean taking some space to "sit with" it before making any decisions.
This practice will create a lot of self trust, self confidence, and resilience. Try this for 30 days.

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