It’s fair to say, there’s not much that trumps your thoughts and feelings. Those two constructs serve as the foundation of every decision you make. According to mental health professional, Dr. Anita Phillips, feelings proceed your thoughts which then leads to an action. An anecdotal example of this concept could be simply understood by the notion of hunger; you feel the hunger pangs which leads you to think about what you would like to eat, followed by the action of calling a food delivery service.
Feeling and thinking go hand in hand… they don’t seem to be in competition with one another. The challenge for all human beings is to surround ourselves with people, experiences, and literature that have the same meaning that aligns with your ambitions and purpose. So that, when the thinking part of the equation comes along, it evokes thoughts that are primarily promoting the outcome(s) that we desire or striving toward.
In a world that is constantly changing, the movement of day-to-day life often does not provide many opportunities for the still moments that allow you to observe your true feelings. A helpful tool used by clinicians, teachers, coaches and the like is called a “Feelings Wheel” (example linked below). It’s a way to identify where you are on the spectrum of feelings with words, as a first step. Then it’s your job to find ways to either harness that feeling or find healthy ways to morph it into another one you would prefer.
Most people would agree that words hold enormous power. Whether you remember the words that hurt your feelings or fondly remember encouraging words that helped you keep moving toward your goal. Words stick with you! As previously mentioned, a fairly easy way to change course or harness a positive feeling is to surround yourself with literature or words that mean something or resonate with you. There are so many ways to do that, for example inspirational quotes that remind you to focus on the important things in life (website linked below). Also, jotting down those words and thoughts through journaling has been found to be quite beneficial. A NY Times article (linked below) sited, journaling was noted by researchers to boost mindfulness and memory, as well as have effects on better sleep, a stronger immune system, better self-confidence and higher IQ. Seems too good to be true, but studies show that it works.
Feelings Wheel
Inspirational Apparel
Inspirational Apparel | Mantra Mayhem
NY Times Article
What’s All This About Journaling? - The New York Times (nytimes.com)