Deal with those negative emotions early!

Have you ever felt depressed, discouraged, defeated, disappointed and needed desperately to get out of that rut?  Or are you experiencing those emotions as we speak?

These emotions can be destructive, if allowed to fester. Let me share with you some practical steps that can help you to come out of that mode:

1. Try to identify what is underlying those emotions, is it that you failed an exam? Or is it that you were told that “you are no good”, “I hate you” or “I do not like being around you”? Perhaps during the thanksgiving holiday, you felt used, you reached out to so many people and no one had the nerve to say, “Thank you”! I can think of so many situations, as real-life examples, of underlying situations that can lead to you feeling unhappy.  Maybe you are seeking to make some changes in your life and all people see is your past, maybe you were disappointed by your children.  It may be something that happened on the job yesterday, or you were robbed or assaulted or just simply misunderstood. For others, it is probably because of waiting and hoping for something to work out, a miracle, for God to reveal himself; a decent home, a new car, the ability to be organized and to function and feel clear in your mind, some personal space to reflect and have your quiet time, the need to talk to someone.   Maybe you are married but you feel alone because communication is severely affected, and you are dying to connect but your spouse is not interested.   It may be some bad news received about your health or the health of someone you care for deeply.  I have listed a bit of examples and I believe you can identify with at least one of them.
2. Once you’ve identified the reason, deal with it. Two things come to mind; you can initiate a conversation to express how you feel to the persons affected or initiate the actions necessary; it may be moving to a different home or visiting the doctor.   If no one else is involved and it is just you, like in a failed exam, you need to analyse the situation to understand why you may have failed the exam; perhaps: “I failed the exam because I was not aware that I will be assessed on those topics”.   Then ask, “Is there anything I could’ve done differently?” If, yes, then next time you do it, if no, move on, what is done is done. 
3. Now, thoughts that remind you about the situation, and about how you felt, may come your way but don’t harbor them, chase them away by switching to thoughts that are healthy. Sometimes it requires switching the conversation as well, or moving away from a certain environment or turning off the radio or television as they can all fuel negative thoughts.
4. Find ways to reach out to other people, take the focus of yourself.
5. Focus on the word of God, meditate, chew on it. Just allow yourself to soak it in and to be nourished by it, and pray and ask God to help you to overcome that disappointment or hurt entirely.  As you do your part, God will do his part.

Remember to seek to manage your emotions always, as they can hinder you from truly fulfilling your purpose in this life.

Phillipians 4:8

“Finally bretheren, whatsoever things are honest, whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of good report; if there be any virtue and if there be any praise, think of these things.”