Process Addiction - It's Okay To Be Sad

I absolutely freaking love this quote:

We so often believe that sadness is a negative emotion because it's uncomfortable.

We automatically decide that if we are sad after making a decision, it had to have been the wrong decision.

It is often just the opposite!

Sadness is JUST an emotion.

It can mean that we cared about something or someone and now we are setting boundaries with them.

It can mean that we will miss the social aspect of certain activities that we are choosing to no longer participate in.

It can mean that the decision we are making is not in alignment with what we saw for our future self.

It can mean that we are worried about being lonely...

But, it's not a dangerous emotion.

You aren't in danger when you are sad!

Validate your emotion.

Sit with your emotion.

I find that if I write out on a piece of paper exactly what I am feeling, it helps me to define the emotion and to keep my thoughts and narrative in alignment with the circumstance/fact.

Current example:

My Kaydon flies out to Puerto Rico tomorrow morning.

I will not hug him for almost two years.

I am sad.

I am anxious.

Emotions.

I feel uneasy.

I feel chaotic.

I feel like my chest is heavy.

I am much more quiet today than usual.

Feelings.

Originally this morning, I had thoughts like:

What is wrong with me?
Why do I feel like this?

Heidi, stop it.

Think about those for a minute.

I am judging myself for having emotions and feelings.

I then wrote down everything I was feeling.

Now, my thoughts are:

I am sad that my KK is leaving and I won't be able to hug him for two years.

I am so grateful that he is doing exactly what he's been preparing for for two years.

I am so honored to be the mom of these boys.

Tomorrow I will cry.

Maybe today I'll cry.

Crying is OK.

You did good, Heidi!

Do you see the difference?

Just a little thought work can put us welcoming in our emotion and creating thoughts whereby we can hold space for ourselves and our feelings.