emotional regulation — EMPOWERED TIMES BLOG

Creating a Haven in the Storm

Do you ever feel like life is an endless series of transition and recalibration? Like we barely make it through one holiday or event when we find ourselves in the midst of another demanding situation or challenging season. We catch our breath just in time for another wave to hit.

Our bodies have an inner autopilot (homeostasis) that restores balance in response to external stress. It automatically regulates our blood sugar, hormones, and heart rate. We don’t even have to think about it!

Mental or emotional harmony, is a more conscious process known as equanimity. It stabilizes us and helps us to weather the storms of life. Amid hectic schedules, successes, failures, celebrations, or crises, equanimity is our ability to return to our center.

Life is full of paradoxical experiences that intermingle and coexist. Broadening our perspective helps us to realize that everything belongs— struggle and ease, conflict and compassion, chaos and peace. Equanimity helps us remain receptive and flexible. It provides a foundation, a firm and fertile ground from which to grow. Beyond survival, resilience is what happens when we not only endure the storm but are changed by it. Equanimity anchors us. Resilience transforms us.

Anger Part 1: Where It Comes From and Why It Matters

“If you're not angry, you’re not paying attention!” became Erik’s mantra. His face would turn crimson and the veins in his temples and neck would swell. Sometimes he would fester in silence, shaking his fist at the television, while his insides stewed like a pressure cooker. Other times his anger misfired, and he would snap at an unsuspecting bystander.

Whether it’s the political state of affairs, road rage, the inconsiderate neighbor who blasts their music at all hours, or racial/social injustices, anger affects us all. Many of us were taught to control, manage, or suppress it. Our experience of anger is connected to our perception of danger or threat, and it can activate our fight-or-flight response, creating inflammation in our bodily systems. However, if we pay attention, our anger is a great teacher. It’s a healthy emotion and an important and natural human response that offers important insight into who we are and what matters most to us.

The Power of Your Summer Soundtrack

We often associate music with these sun-drenched days of pool hangs, road trips, or leisurely afternoons in the shade. Whether your vibe is Dua Lipa or The Doobie Brothers, this warm and vibrant season invites its own annual playlist. Not only does music have the potential to influence your mood, it can also invoke a sense of well-being and safety. Our vagus nerve is the longest cranial nerve in our body, which runs between our brain and our gut. It communicates with nearly every major organ and the striated muscles of our face and neck, to include the ear and the larynx. Evidence suggests we may improve our vagal tone, and thus the restorative functions of our nervous system, through the rhythm, tone, and vibration of music. Sound has tremendous power to heal and restore our body and mind. It can intensify our experiences, ignite our memories, transcend global and cultural divides, and deepen our connection with nature. Music can transport us to another time and place or anchor us into the present moment. What’s on your soundtrack this summer?

Categories: