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5 ways to soothe<br />
painful emotions<br />
Ride the waves and tap into self-care with these tips<br />
Writing | Rosie Cappuccino<br />
Have you ever had an<br />
emotion that felt ‘too<br />
much’, or feared that<br />
your feelings would<br />
overwhelm you? While emotions<br />
have an adaptive purpose – to<br />
help us stay safe, make decisions,<br />
communicate, and build social<br />
bonds – there are times when<br />
they become so strong that their<br />
intensity hurts.<br />
Although some people<br />
experience intense emotions more<br />
frequently (such as those who, like<br />
me, have borderline personality<br />
disorder), painful emotions are<br />
part of being human. It is normal<br />
to feel large amounts of emotion,<br />
especially in response to difficult<br />
events such as an illness, or the<br />
death of a loved one. Here, we<br />
take a look at five ways to soothe<br />
painful emotions.<br />
1. Engage your senses<br />
“[This] is an act of mindfulness,<br />
pausing and tuning-in to your<br />
body, surroundings, and what<br />
is happening in the now,” says<br />
counsellor Dee Johnson. “It helps<br />
with concentration skills, and<br />
brings awareness, sharpening<br />
your observational abilities.”<br />
If you’re sad or anxious, try<br />
recreating a fragrance you<br />
associate with comfort, perhaps<br />
spraying diluted lavender oil onto<br />
a tissue. Experiment with looking<br />
carefully at leaves during a walk,<br />
and try savouring something<br />
fresh, such as a juicy piece of fruit.<br />
Explore textures to see what you<br />
find soothing; prop a cushion<br />
behind your back when you’re<br />
writing a stressful email. Play<br />
around with sound to see if the<br />
chatter of the radio soothes you.<br />
2. Delve into a story<br />
Stories can take us temporarily<br />
into the minds of others, and<br />
to diverse locations, providing<br />
a short break from whatever is<br />
going on in our lives. For some,<br />
stories involving crime, war, or<br />
horror can exacerbate fear, guilt,<br />
or sadness – so genres involving<br />
romance, fantasy, or nature may<br />
be more soothing options.<br />
Undoubtedly, the cognitive<br />
effort needed for reading a book<br />
or processing narrative twists<br />
can be difficult when emotions<br />
are intense, but audiobooks of<br />
familiar or childhood stories<br />
may be able to offer escapism<br />
more easily, and without any<br />
jarring surprises. Travel vlogs on<br />
YouTube can also be a fun way of<br />
momentarily exploring interesting<br />
landscapes or cities.<br />
20 | September <strong>2021</strong> | <strong>happiful</strong>.com
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