How to deal with negative emotions: Your best days are now -

I was listening to the song, Best Days from Sarah Reeves and it reminded me of how negative emotions could be indicating that healing and heart transformation is on the horizon! Just like a natural plant in a garden, the negative emotions flowing from your heart needs to be steward with compassion, grace, and deep nurture.

Signs of Negative emotions in your life

Feeling easily overwhelmed
Feeling like you need a soul detox or soul declutter
Hearing racing thoughts that seemed to get louder as you’re falling asleep
Insomnia or the inability to rest
Tired all the time

How to deal with negative emotions

Sit Still and check on your body

I also listened to Dr. Anita Phillips on TV discuss negative emotions in the body. The first practical advice that she gave was sitting still to check your body. I resonated with what she said because there are days that I can feel heaviness or a tightness in my body. I have found that when I ignore this bodily expression, that other manifestations will go haywire in my body. For instance, intrusive and ruminating thoughts will run through my mind repeatedly and my body will follow along as if the thoughts are true. Other bodily expressions may manifest as not being able to digest my food properly and acid reflux after meals.

Now I have learned that my body is trying to communicate to me that I need to nurture my emotions with grace and tender care. It is also important to define your emotions when nurturing your heart. For me, the emotion of fear is expressed in my heart as lack of safety or protection. It usually looks like:

Fear of death or something catastrophic happening
Not feeling safe with myself ( being vulnerable)
Unsafe feeling of losing God in my life
Lack of job security (dreading making a mistake)

I have learned after defining my emotion by the root that I don’t have to protect or strive to save myself. I am NOT my own savior. God is my savior and He restores my soul.

I also started to check with my body in a quiet place. I emphasize quiet here because I tried practicing stillness while driving in traffic. My body only focused on the anxiety of getting to work on time.

Also, try checking on your body throughout the day. Your heart houses your emotions and it is similar to a fertile ground growing a plant. You need to water it sometimes twice a day so that it continues to grow. The heaviness in your chest might be telling you that you are grieving and feeling sad. It may also clue you in on what specific situations are adding to the negative emotions flowing through your body.

The next thing that you can do is to not fight your tears. It’s your body’s way of bringing balance back to your heart and mind. When you are sitting still, you may cry without knowing why and that is okay. Let your body purge and cleanse itself to bring you back to a place of total peace.

Practice Deep breathing

Partner with the Holy Spirit to self-soothe in healthy ways. It may be very painful to experience negative feelings as these feelings often feel intense as an adult. You can self soothe in several ways. When you feel negative feelings ( pain, rejection, shame) put your hands on your belly and take a deep breath—in through your nose and out your mouth ( 3x). This activates the parasympathetic system that relaxes your body when it is in fight or flight mode. It also helps your body to function properly ( e.g., digestion, urinate, etc.).

Soak in God’s presence

Soaking in God’s presence is waiting in His presence ( or listening to His voice). This is a necessary foundation in building your emotional man. Remaining close to the vine ( Jesus) is similar to Adam walking with God in in the garden of Eden. It is also like a marriage made by God (Adam and Eve) in the kingdom of God. Acknowledging his presence will immediately give you access to the agenda of heaven so that you can produce good fruit here on earth.

Pay attention to triggers, trials, and pressures.

Pay attention to triggers and trials because they will show you what is still hidden in your heart. Your faith ( new belief) will always be tested. How you handle triggers will help you to understand areas that need further healing.

Storms lead to your breakthrough. When you are resting during the storm and you wait for the peace after the storm has ended, you will receive the key to unlock the door to the next destination (dimension in the spirit realm). New keys are given after each test. New territory=New authority. Access= New authority.

The key to passing each storm in your life is to be still and know that God will love you through it. So even if negative emotions such as doubts or disappointments come up to the surface of your heart, be vulnerable with your need. Is it security that you NEED? Are you feeling disappointed? It’s okay to share your disappointments with God. Disappointment is a weed that needs to be removed with God’s love. But be willing to go to God in prayer about how you feel. He already knows but is still willing to listen. Why? Because he is a great friend, husband, and lover that is always emotionally available and secure with hearing you out.

As you talk to God, you may want him to do things that are not aligned with his will. Remember that God is not a genie in a bottle. God wants your desires to come from the foundation of His love instead of from a place of emptiness, selfish ambitions, or needing to control external events to avoid deep vulnerability with God, yourself, and others.

God is in the business of fully restoring your soul so be vulnerable with what you truly need.

Negative emotions need to be filtered through the foundation of resting in God’s peace after the trial or test of your faith.

Rest in God’s peace

Negative emotions need to be filtered through the foundation of resting in God’s peace after the trial or test of your faith. If you believe that God’s love is enough and you have given your whole life over to Jesus, then that faith will be tested. But it is important to realize that resting in God’s peace and being confident that His love will never fail you, gives you authority over the storm. This pleases God’s heart to see His children trust that His love will never abandon them

When Jesus was on the boat with his disciples during a great storm He fell asleep ( rested in the assurance of His authority). His authority was on the foundation of His great faith in the love of the Father so He did not fear drowning. Instead He used two keys from the kingdom of God ( the key of rest and the key of peace) to dismantle the storm. He said to the sea, Peace be still ( Mark 4:35-41).

God’s love always protected Jesus from any storms in the sea but His followers did not recognize the source of his faith when they fearfully ( in great wonder) said, Who then is this, that even the wind and the sea obey him.

Trust in God with your emotions because your best days are ahead of you and they are manifesting now in your life.