Real Feels & Sparking Joy
By Megan Sanchez
Emotional agility is a hot topic these days. While this may sound fancy, the idea itself is quite simple. As humans, our feelings are constantly shifting, down to the hour and the minute. We welcome some feelings– bliss, freedom, and optimism, to name a few. And sometimes we’re less comfortable with emotions such as shame and guilt. These can be a little more challenging to sit with.
These can feel like polarizing times due to our increasingly challenging world. It can be easy to assign ‘good’ and ‘bad’ labels to the way we’re feeling. But this amounts to undue pressure. Are we not allowed to feel down? Should we always have thick skin and a smile on our face? Of course not!
By exercising compassion for ourselves, we can remember that we are not defined by our emotions or patterns. For example, you may feel angry, but you are not anger. You might feel hopeless, but you are not a hopeless person.
‘What next then?’ you might be thinking. If I’m open to being flexible with my feelings and thoughts, can I feel these things and still find joy and beauty in the everyday? Absolutely. In fact, approaching our emotions with compassion will strengthen our ability to see the way forward without getting held up in a place that doesn’t serve us. All of our emotions deserve to be felt and understood on a deeper level, never brushed aside or buried because they’ve been deemed unacceptable.
When we remain open to what we’re feeling, we’re simultaneously empowering ourselves to view our circumstances in a new way. We’re creating options and choices, and this is a powerful way to think and act.
Someone once told me that ‘we’re always all our ages.’ That younger version of ourselves, who saw things in a simple, joyful way, is always alive inside of us waiting for their moment to shine. As we strengthen our emotional flexibility and intelligence, especially in challenging times, we can call on this inner glow without it feeling forced or contrived. We can lean on others and offer support in a way that’s authentic and fulfilling. Check out the ideas below to honor exactly where you are and graciously offer yourself a way to lighten the load.
Get Outside
Recent studies show that just twenty minutes of daily outdoor time can significantly boost your mood and health. Yes, July has been a hot one with record breaking temps around the world, but with the majority of our time spent indoors on digital devices, you owe it to yourself to feel some sunshine on your face and fresh air filling your lungs. If 20 minutes feels like too much, take a micro walk around the perimeter of your house or office.
Get Creative
Spend some time creating, simply for the joy of making something with your own hands. What does creativity mean to you? Release the need for things to look perfect, or even look good for that matter. Creation for the sake of release and expression is one of the most powerful natural antidotes available to us.
Tune In
Music is a simple way to flip your perspective and fill the soul. Different rhythms and sounds help us honor where we’ve been, where we are presently, and the promise of the future. Find a comfy seat and just tune into your tunes.
Offer yourself a healthy dose of grace and compassion, each and every day. Your feelings are perfect and the ability to spark joy will always burn within you.
Megan Sanchez is the owner of UpSwing Health Coaching. She works one-on-one with busy professionals, working parents and executives who want to double their energy, revamp their lifestyle and live purposefully. Megan helps people develop habits that are built on super small, everyday commitments to nutrition, movement, and personal nourishment that feel good because your body tells you so, not because you’re following the latest trend. She loves both outdoor and urban adventures. She’s called DC home for 8 years.
To learn more, visit upswinghealthcoaching.com