Mindful Living Lab

– A field guide to the moments that hijack your feelings – We all have emotional triggers. Moments that hit us harder than they “should.” Words, tones, situations that make us shut down, lash out, or spiral. And we all ask the same thing afterwards: “Why did I overreact?” “What’s wrong with me?” “How do I stop doing that?” The answer? Know your triggers. Prepare your tools. Let’s break it down. 🔥 Common Emotional Triggers & How to Handle Them 🗣️ 1. “You’re too sensitive” → Invalidation Trigger Why it hits: It tells you your feelings are wrong, dramatic, or inconvenient. What to say to yourself: “My reaction may be big, but my feelings are real.” “I don’t need permission to feel.” What to do: Breathe. Name the emotion. Validate yourself first — before expecting others to. 🚪 2. Canceled plans, silence, cold responses → Abandonment Trigger Why it hits: It echoes a fear of being left, forgotten, or unworthy. What to say to yourself: “Silence...

– Words for what you feel, when “I’m fine” isn’t enough – You’re not cold — you just don’t know how to explain it. You’re not dramatic — you just don’t have the right words. You’re not okay — but you don’t know what not okay really means. That’s why you need an emotional vocabulary. Because if you can name it, you can manage it. Let’s decode your emotional world. 💥 When You Feel Angry (But Don’t Want to Scream) Word What It Really Means Frustrated Something’s blocking you and it shouldn’t be this hard Resentful You gave too much and now you feel used or unseen Irritated Minor boundary has been crossed — repeatedly Enraged A deep value or core wound feels violated Defensive You feel accused, even if no one said it directly 😔 When You Feel Sad (But Don’t Want to Cry) Word What It Really Means Disappointed You hoped — and it didn’t happen Lonely You feel emotionally disconnected, even around people Hopeless You don’t see a wa...

– Track your emotions without judgment or overwhelm – You’ve probably heard that journaling helps. But what if you sit down and… don’t know what to write? Or you end up ranting for pages, then closing the notebook with more confusion than clarity? Enter: the Feelings Log — a lightweight, powerful tool for building emotional self-awareness, without the emotional hangover. Let’s make one that actually helps . 🧠 What Is a Feelings Log? It’s a simple, structured way to track what you feel, when you feel it, and what might be behind it — no overthinking, no 3-page essays required. You don’t need to be a “writer.” You just need curiosity. The goal: notice patterns → understand yourself → make better choices. 🛠️ The Core Components of a Helpful Feelings Log Each entry can be as short as 3–5 lines. Include: Date / Time 🕐 Helps you notice when certain emotions spike (e.g., Sunday nights? After certain meetings?) Emotion Word(s) 😔 Name it clearly: anxious, grateful, n...

– Understanding emotional numbness and finding your way back – You’re not sad. You’re not happy. You’re just… nothing. You scroll. You nod. You say “I’m fine.” But inside? You feel disconnected from yourself. This is emotional numbness — and it doesn’t mean you’re broken. It means your system is protecting you. Let’s talk about why it happens, and how to gently reconnect with what you feel. 🧊 What Is Emotional Numbness? It’s a coping response. When emotions become too overwhelming or too chronic, your brain goes: “Let’s just shut this down for now.” It’s like emotional Wi-Fi being turned off — not forever, but until the system is safe again. Common causes: Burnout Trauma Chronic stress or grief Long-term emotional suppression Depression or dissociation 🚫 The Myth: “If I Don’t Feel, I’m Fine” Numbness is often mistaken for “stability.” But just because you're not crying doesn't mean you're okay. ➡️ The absence of emotion ≠ the absenc...