Learning to take charge of emotions

All of us have emotions. Some of us are more sensitive than others but we all have them. Emotions can be both positive as well as negative and they influence how we think and act. This makes emotions a very important aspect of our personality to manage.

I did a bit of research online to come up with some affirmations for myself that I have put together to help me respond to emotions appropriately. Saying these things out to yourself once in a while helps:

1. I am responsible for my own emotions.

I am responsible for my emotions, not another person or circumstances or conditions. Emotions, all emotions I experience are born, live and belong in me alone.

2. I am also responsible for managing my own emotions.

How I respond to my own emotions is completely upto me. It is up to me to formulate a mature, healthy, and effective response to my emotions —as opposed to simply reacting. I am my own emotional caretaker.

3. I am not responsible for another person’s emotions or for managing their moods.

This doesn’t stop me from being sympathetic, empathetic, and compassionate when someone I care about is hurting. I will try to calmly interact with people in distress, try to soothe their pain, and help them heal. I understand that real, lasting change only comes from inside.

4. I will not take the bait to react when it can make things worse

I will try to walk away from situations orchestrated to draw me in, induce a predictable reaction, start a fight, and pull me down to the other person’s level.

5. I will practice consistency

Managing my emotions effectively is a skill and will take time to develop. I may fall short at times, fall back into old habits, get caught up or drawn into someone else’s drama and begin to feel responsible for another actor’s lines. When this happens, I will try to remind myself that I am the author, producer, and director of my play alone. I set the stage, cast the characters and choose the part I want. I operate the lights and curtain. And in my show I get to take the bow.