How to Reduce Uncomfortable Feelings So You Can Think Clearly

The Verywell Mind Podcast's “Friday Fix” is a short episode that features a quick, actionable tip or exercise to help you manage a specific mental health issue or concern.

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Friday Fix: Episode 123

Your ability to think rationally diminishes as your emotions heighten. This is why you might say or do things you later regret when you're enraged. It also explains why you might resort to an unhealthy coping mechanism for immediate relief when your anxiety escalates.

Uncomfortable emotions such as anxiety, embarrassment, sadness, and anger can be difficult to endure. If we're not cautious, these emotions can lead to poor choices when we don't manage them appropriately.

We all have specific methods of dealing with unpleasant emotions. You might reach for your phone to fend off boredom. Or you might eat when you feel isolated.

Sometimes, our coping mechanisms work well in the moment by reducing the intensity of our feelings. However, these very same mechanisms can easily introduce more significant problems into our lives.

It's imperative to assess your coping skills periodically and verify that you're using healthy strategies to manage uncomfortable emotions.

There are numerous healthy ways to manage your emotions, ranging from drawing to running. However, the goal is not to eliminate uncomfortable feelings entirely. The objective is to minimize them enough to think clearly. After that, you can make wiser decisions for yourself.

In today's Friday Fix, I'll elucidate how to identify your current coping skills and outline healthy coping strategies that you can start experimenting with.

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Kindly note that this transcript isn't subject to our standard editorial process and may contain inaccuracies and grammatical errors. We appreciate your understanding.

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