With everything we are going through right now, it’s easy to get caught up in a cycle of negative emotion and stress or to push our feelings aside to focus on school work and other activities. This five-minute exercise, which was adapted from the Greater Good in Action website, can help you gain perspective and reflect on your feelings in a healthy way.
Step 1: Think about a difficult time or experience, this does not necessarily have to be something you are currently going through.
Step 2: For three minutes, work through your feelings from a third-person perspective, asking questions like “How did this make [your name] feel?” This might feel awkward at first, but it gets easier! The aim of this activity is not to create a barrier between you and your feelings, but to help you assess them from a more neutral perspective which can keep you from feeling overwhelmed.
Step 3: Write down your thoughts.
Step 4: Repeat steps 1-3 whenever you feel overwhelmed.