It's easy to feel unsteady and unbalanced these days, or, to use a therapy term, dysregulated. Dysregulation’s aspirational twin is “emotionally regulated,” and often people come into therapy with a goal of better emotion regulation. But what are we really saying when we talk about the regulation and dysregulation of emotion? And what can help us stay regulated when everything feels out of control?
I don't know about you, but Thanksgiving being so late this year threw me into a bit of confusion. Somehow it’s December and there are only a few weeks until Christmas. I’m guessing I’m not the only one feeling disoriented by the slalom course of the holiday months. This season can be a lot, so it helps to bring some mindfulness to this amped up time of year. So, let's check in together and see how we're all doing.
Do recent events, or just life in general, have you hiding under the covers and saying "I don't want to"? I can relate! I’ll bet your mind works a lot like my mind, and bonus points if you, like me, said "I don't want to" in the last day, or even within the last hour. Thoughts like “I don’t want to” and “I can’t” often come along with feelings of apathy, disengagement, and overwhelm; a murky soup of anxiety, depression, and apathy. Maybe it's time to explore the "I don't want to" part of us and get to know her a little better.
A quick Google search tells me everyone and their cousin is writing about election anxiety right now, and for a good reason…according to a survey by the American Psychological Association, 69% of Americans say the election is a “significant stressor.” I notice my own anxiety as a sort of queasiness in my stomach, and an increase in avoidance behaviors like shutting down or checking out (or writing a blog about anxiety as a way to avoid instead of feeling my feels.) It's rough out there, so let's talk about some ways to stay grounded amidst the turmoil.