8 Powerful Steps To Shift A Nervous Breakdown To A Breakthrough
Emotion is a current of energy that flows through the body.
getty If you were to fill a bucket with water and keep the tap on, the water would spill out over the edge. Then add on a tight lid, and the water would be suppressed, causing the bucket to build pressure and eventually burst.
This is what happens to your mind during a nervous breakdown.
Life can be fast-paced with people wanting results and actions quickly.
Compared to your ancestors, you're faced with a huge turnover of information on a daily basis. When something throws you into disarray, you can’t just throw a tantrum or run away.
Instead, you swallow your words, push your feelings down, and it’s business as usual.
During stress, your body will frantically try to keep you safe because it has a natural instinct to save you from harm. When in danger, your body responds the same way it did millions of years ago. And just like the bucket of water, all those emotions must go somewhere.
So, how can you shift from a breakdown to a breakthrough?
Everyone has feelings accompanied by old emotional echoes that pop up inconveniently.
Do you expertly push your emotions down in order to be seen and respected as being in control of yourself? As emotion is suppressed, pressure builds, and the body pumps out a concoction of stress hormones such as cortisol and adrenaline.
If you're overburdened or stressed, this constant pump will rarely rebalance itself. This is incredibly threatening to the immune system and causes you to feel unwell emotionally and physically.
When you're lost for a solution or feel trapped, the breakdown breaks out. It's important to get on top of things before that happens.
Here are 8 easy steps to shift a nervous breakdown to a breakthrough.
1. Find someone to help you talk about your feelings.
Speaking your feelings will help you to connect to yourself and come up with solutions.
Having someone you trust to bounce ideas and sensations off of is important.
2. Let go of painful issues in the past.
Make time for expressing yourself and releasing grudges that have built up.
This could be through journaling or other creative methods.
3. Don't let yourself be a victim of your circumstances.
Decide how you can fully take control of a situation, so you're more empowered.
Stepping out of your comfort zone could lead you into a better situation.
4. Don't fight just to be right or in control.
Avoid power struggles and the need to be right in certain situations. This only perpetuates conflict and makes you feel worse.
5. Learn from other people's experiences.
Make the most of the people around you. Ask for feedback, so you can learn and grow.
6. Pause to be appreciative of what you've accomplished.
Celebrate all the great things you have achieved in life so far. If you need a reminder, grab some paper and write them all out.
7. Don't focus on the negative.
Imagine the experiences when you felt good. Bring that same feeling into the present by recalling times when you were elated!
These memories will remind you that things are not as bad as they seem — and that you still have many more things to be happy about.
8. Delve into your personal strengths.
Tap into the positive resources you already have within. You are stronger and more resilient than you realize! And thus far, have gotten yourself through absolutely everything life has thrown your way.
When you're in a more resourceful state, you can rationalize and handle a situation objectively and take the appropriate action, which will have a positive impact all around.
Don't let your emotional state drive you to a breakdown. Turn it into a breakthrough by remembering that you can do this, and you've got plenty more in life to look forward to.
Caroline Rushforth is a mind and life coach who wants to offer you support in overcoming stress and anxiety. For more information on how she can help you, or to receive a free 30-minute video consultation, email her here.