Are you busy?

When people ask me how I am, lately I find myself saying “Busy, but good busy!”

I feel the need to explain myself because somehow, we have managed to turn the meaning of the word busy into overwhelmed, stressed out, and exhausted instead.

There was a time when busy simply meant busy.

What I experience in my practice is that more and more people have a hard time connecting with their feelings. Sometimes it is easier to use the first word that comes to mind, and sometimes, my clients are uncomfortable or not used to identifying their feelings.

As modern life continues to accelerate, we frequently forget about the importance of emotional awareness. Especially when society places a high value on logic, productivity, and efficiency. As a result, we struggle to pinpoint our feelings accurately, which leads to communication breakdowns, unresolved conflicts, and emotional distress.

On the other hand, acknowledging emotions empowers us to better understand ourselves and others. Emotions serve as vital indicators of our needs, desires, and boundaries. Becoming emotionally aware enhances empathy, compassion, and better communication with those around us.

Dr. Gloria Willcox developed the Feeling Wheel in 1982 to identify emotions. She wrote, “You cannot heal what you cannot feel.”

Today, the Feeling Wheel still serves as an invaluable tool to help us navigate the landscape of our feelings. Click here to download and use the Feeling Wheel.

By embracing emotional intelligence and utilizing the Feeling Wheel, we empower ourselves to connect more deeply with our emotions, which leads to increased self-awareness, improved communication, and enriched relationships with those around us.

Let’s reclaim our words and ALL our feelings, no matter what they are.

I would love to hear how you get on with it.

May you be well.