CBT Therapy Helps Untangle Conflicting Emotions

Cognitive Behavioural Therapy can help us untangle conflicting, and sometimes overwhelming emotions at any time and particularly during the festive period.

Sorting Out Feelings By Giving Ourselves Permission to Feel Them.

The visual below is such a wonderful, easy-to-understand concept. It relates to my recent posts on anger and sitting with any conflicting emotions, particularly relevant during times of festivity.

Why The Festive Period Can Be A Challenging Time.

This is a time of year that is not always easy for everyone, with messy emotions prevalent. Loneliness can be even more acutely felt during times of festivity. For some, the loss of someone close, through bereavement, or separation, can be more obvious when family and friends get together to celebrate. For others, spending so much time with family when they are unused to doing so, or where relationships are challenging, can be a source of great discord. Even those who love this time of year can find themselves so out of their comfort zone at times, that they react in ways they do not like, with negative emotions attached.

How Cognitive Behavioural Therapy Can Help With Messy Emotions

Using acceptance, curiosity and a non judgemental approach in CBT Therapy sessions can help to sort through some of the confusing and often conflicting emotions we might feel at times, particularly over holiday periods!

Using the STOPP tool mentioned in my blog about anger, we can create a pause. In the pause created we can sit with our emotions, and then choose how to respond.

Using The STOPP Tool To Respond Instead of React

In a world full of irritations, reacting in the moment can sometimes lead us to actions we regret. Pausing, reflecting on what is going on for us internally and then responding, can lead to behaviour that’s more in line with our values. And stop us from saying something we might regret to people who push our buttons during more intense periods of family time! 😂