Mental Health Awareness Week is on.

Sometimes I think that mental health needs to actually be emotional health….…………Does one come before the other? Or are they connected closely.

If you inquire into this for yourself, you may have difficulty in deciding what comes first, at any time.

I have been so in my head a lot of the time when younger, that I would have said that thoughts come first and then emotions. Since emotions are felt in the body and I tended to ignore them. When I was growing up, emotions were not a thing. I’m not even sure the word was ever used in my environment, nor were emotions like sadness, anger or hatred ever acknowledged. Happy maybe was. And my strategy in dealing with my most common feeling (fear) was to leave people and go climb my favourite tree or go walking. I wanted to get away. Away from my emotions and away from the situation. Just away!

Some people like to move towards others, either physically or internally, to sort out what is going on emotionally between them and make it better.

Some people withdraw – it’s all too hard.

It can be understandable to think that thoughts come first. Because especially in our society, there is still not much acknowledgement of emotions.

But where do thoughts come from? What starts them and what drives them?

Research has shown that the area of the brain responsible for emotions, lights up first before we think or make a decision.

So therefore I suggest that emotions come first. Not being black/white about it though, maybe it’s different for you in different situations.

Thinking can be a very effective way to avoid emotions. To move away from them.

I’d say, it’s a very common strategy for people who want to (unconsciously) avoid an emotion. Emotions can be thought to be scary. Particularly the ones we judge as negative. Lack of experience of feeling them means that avoiding comes naturally and without even realising.

The amazing thing is that emotions aren’t as scary as we think they will be. And the vulnerability that often accompanies emotions is beautiful and truthful. Try it.

And just so you know, letting yourself feel emotions in your body is just that. It does not involve thinking about them or even naming them. If you start thinking a story about the emotions – what caused it, who to blame, and repeating the same old thoughts, you will hinder the release of the feeling. The story will keep it there. So just feel………in your body.

So, what do you reckon? Should Mental Health Awareness Week be renamed as Emotional Health Awareness Week?


PS. If you have a personal issue to do with thinking, your circumstances or emotions that you would like to talk through in confidence and with no judgement, please be in touch. I see people in my home in Paraparaumu, Aotearoa, NZ or online. http://theinnerpath.co.nz/booknow