Learning to observe and accept your emotions

by
Col Mukteshwar Prasad(Retd),
Mtech(IIT Delhi),CE(I),FIE(I),FIETE,FISLE,FInstOD,AMCSI
Contact -+919007224278,
e-mail -muktesh_prasad@yahoo.co.in
for book ”Decoding Services Selection Board” and
SSB guidance and training at Shivnandani Edu and Defence Academy,Kolkata,India
Learning to Observe and Accept Your
Emotions
(Personality Disorder -1D)
Ref –About.com

Learning to Observe and Accept Your
Emotions
 This emotional acceptance exercise is one way to help you learn to be more
aware and accepting of your emotions.
 Many people with borderline personality disorder (BPD) and other disorders
that involve intense emotional experiences have a tendency to reject their
emotions as bad or wrong.
 Unfortunately, this can lead to some very dangerous behaviors, such
as deliberate self-harm.
 How can you learn to be more accepting of emotions?
 This exercise teaches you to see your emotion from a little bit of a
distance.
 This is different than dissociation (which involves being completely cut off
from your emotions) or emotional suppression.
 Instead, this exercise promotes mindfulness, or the ability to see the
emotion for what it is without judging it or attempting to get rid of it.
 The exercise is adapted from a workbook developed by Dr. Steven Hayes at
the University of Nevada at Reno called “Get Out of Your Mind and Into
Your Life.”
 The workbook is an excellent introduction to a type of therapy called
Acceptance and Commitment Therapy, which has been shown to effectively
treat a variety of psychological disorders
 The workbook is well worth a read if you are interested in learning more
about accepting your emotions.

Emotional Acceptance Exercise: Observing Your
Emotions
 This exercise can be done when you are having an emotion that is
uncomfortable.
 Initially it is best to choose an emotion that is not too intense.
 Pick a time when you are having an emotion strong enough for you to
recognize you are having it, but not so strong that you are feeling
overwhelmed by it.
 After some practice you may want to try it with stronger emotions.
 Step One: Identify the Emotion
 The first step is to identify the emotion you are having.
 If you are having more than one emotion, just pick one (you can go back and
do this exercise with the other emotions later if you want to).
 If you are having trouble identifying the emotion, sit for a moment and pay
attention to your physical sensations and thoughts.
 See if you can give an emotion you are having a name (e.g., sadness, anger,
shame).
 Once you have a name for the emotion, write it down on a slip of paper.
 Step Two: Getting Some Space
 Now that you have identified the emotion, close your eyes (if that feels safe
to do) and imagine putting that emotion five feet in front of you.
 Imagine that for just a few minutes you are going to put it outside of yourself
so that you can look at it.

Emotions
 Step Three: Give the Emotion a Form
 Now that the emotion is out in front of you, close your eyes and answer the
following questions:
 If your emotion had a size, what size would it be?
 If your emotion had a shape, what shape would it be?
 If your emotion had a color, what color would it be?
 Once you’ve answered these questions, imagine the emotion out in front of
you with the size, shape and color you gave it.
 Just watch it for a few moments and recognize it for what it is.
 When you are ready, you can let the emotion return to its original place inside
you.
 After the Exercise: Reflect
 Once you’ve completed this exercise, just take a moment to reflect on what
you noticed about your experience.
 Did you notice any change in the emotion when you got a little distance from
it?
 What about changes in your reactions to the emotion?
 What size, shape, and color did you give the emotion?
 Did the emotion feel different in some way once the exercise was finished?

Emotions
 After the Exercise: Reflect….. way once the
exercise was finished?
 Practice this exercise once a day for a month. It
won’t take much time out of your day, so it’s not
a huge investment.
 After a month, see if you notice any changes in
how you relate to your emotions.
 This exercise may seem a little strange at first,
but many people notice that it helps them start to
think differently about, and be more accepting
of, their emotions.
 Source:
 Hayes SC. Get Out of Your Mind and Into Your Life:
The New Acceptance and Commitment

Learning to observe and accept your emotions

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