Mindfulness Tips to Cope with Difficult Emotions in Relationships

Most people understand life to be fast-paced and full of stress. The reality is that pressures from technology and work can take a toll on a marriage. Difficult emotions like anger, confusion, and sadness may arise. Mindfulness is a good way to cope with difficult emotions when they arise because relationships are hard work and not always perfect.

Moving Towards Mindfulness

The following tips are helpful when working to move towards mindfulness in daily life. This can start with the following:

Turn towards acceptance. Once an emotion has become a feeling, notice where it sits in the body. It may be a pounding of the chest, tension, or a stomach pain. Sit with the anger, anxiety, fear, grief, guilt, shame, or even good emotions that come up and be still. Become aware but don’t ignore it or let it go right away. Hold it openly and in front of you
Identify and label it. Acknowledge the presence of the emotion, even amidst uncertain, anxiety, and fear. Identify the emotions and know you are experiencing them and it is safe. Labeling emotions allows space to remove some of the pain and stay present
Accept the emotion. Acknowledge and accept the emotion is there but don’t try to drive yourself crazy over it. Repeat to yourself that you are doing well and extend loving kindness towards yourself. Become aware of what is going on within you and pursue that personal, interior power. You are not any feeling you have, you experience them as fleeting emotions that will shift, change, and grow as you do the same
Emotional impermanence: every emotion is impermanent. It arises and resides within for a time, then disappears. It is easy to forget this when dealing with challenging emotions. Allow space to witness and observe emotions with kind attention and patience, giving latitude and space to deal with them. Ask focused questions and respond in a way that promotes empathy, compassion, and connection
Investigate them: ask what is triggering the feeling and causing it to erupt right that moment. Focus on what may be coming up and how you are responding. Mindfulness in dealing with emotions is not easy but it is possible. It just takes practice

Be kind, compassionate, and patient while working towards building mindfulness around emotions. Relationships are hard work but so is recovery. Don’t beat yourself up for not getting things right all the time. In a good relationship, people become angry. Learn how to see the glass half full and remember emotions are fleeting. Don’t give into what they tell you in any given moment. Focus on what is possible now and seek support and help for what is too difficult to handle.

The Last Resort provides a safe, supportive environment for men in a retreat-like setting. We help you build a contemplative practice and focus on mindfulness in recovery. However you find your way to the Last Resort, we endeavor to provide a haven where you can journey through recovery feeling like your life and story have meaning and a purpose. Call us to find out more: 512-750-6750.