How often does your emotional noise become loud enough to upset your life?
Emotional noise includes feelings or thoughts that may pull you down, or prevent you from achieving your hopes, your dreams and may feel like it is sabotaging your goals.
Perhaps you feel sad because you have had a recent loss, or you are someone who worries all the time (anxiety), or you are frustrated because of family problems or financial challenges, or you have experienced abuse in one form or another and you feel miserable in all ways imaginable.
When this type of inner “noise” occurs, it often links itself up to another unresolved emotional issue that you may have been silently carrying with you for years.
These things then join together and set up house in your limbic system, which houses your amygdala. (the brain organ that holds emotions and registers fear) Left unresolved it will then set up an emotional charge that may continue to interfere with your life until you find a way to release those stored emotions.
So with a limbic system full of stored up emotion, you may find yourself feeling unhappy, looking at life as though the glass is completely empty and sitting in first class on the train to depression. It can be difficult to self motivate enough to change trains, never mind destinations.
Frequently, this type of emotional noise can originate from trauma and is insidious in its build up in your brain. (trauma can be described as any disturbing or distressing experience from a seemingly small degree to a larger degree)
You may experience any of the following when trauma has entered your world; hopelessness, insomnia, loss of interest, dissociation, memory loss, panic attacks, hyper vigilance, intrusive memories, shame, self loathing and you may perhaps re-visit self destructive behaviours or habits.
When you feel like you walk with negativity, you tend to carry it with you into every aspect of your life.
It’s an emotionally tough place to be and it can be easy to become stuck there, as your brain spirals round and round with the same old (frequently untrue) unhealthy thoughts and feelings. It is exhausting and the fatigue can numb and paralyze you as though you are bound by emotional mind-body ropes.
So what to do? If your budget or health plan allows it, research counsellors and find someone that you feel you may connect with. (Google Psychology Today, Therapists and then choose Vernon, Kelowna, etc.) Seeing a counsellor is not a career move and you don’t need to see them forever. I would suggest a review after four to six visits to see if you feel you are making progress.
If paid counselling is not an option, then reach out to the free resources in the community; Canadian Mental Health Association, the People Place and the Family Resource Centre. They can refer you to other resources as well.
The emotional noise of our minds can be a lonely place and like anything we focus our attention on, it can grow and become deafening without some help.
Don’t let your emotional noise become so loud that it stops you from seeing the good in life. Stop the thought, change your mind and replace it with your own truth.
Carole Fawcett is a counsellor, clinical hypnotherapist and freelance writer. www.amindfulconnection.com