Gynomite’s Emotional Assignment of the Day
Today’s emotional assignment is to take more responsibility for your emotions.
When I worked with teenagers a few years ago, we played this “game” where I would describe a situation, and the kids would have to write down, independently, what their emotion would be based on that situation.
I would say “Your mom isn’t home because she had to work”. For some of the kids whose moms didn’t work, they felt excited that she was working and also happy about having time alone in the house. For kids whose parents were always working, they felt ignored and bummed that they were alone again. Admittedly not a fun game, but it was a good introduction to the idea that our emotions are created by us, and not by situations. The situations are ambiguous, WE are the ones that give them meaning.
It’s terrifyingly easy to forget this.
Gynomite’s Emotional Assignment of the Day
Read this.
Michael Ian Black, who is brilliant and hilarious, recently wrote a blog post about his struggles with success vs. feeling like a success. It’s amazingly well articulated and honest, so today, if you are in a field that even slightly relies on public opinion, I am ordering you to read this. Or hell, if you’re at all concerned about being successful in your life but are not really sure what that means anymore, I am ordering you to read this. Click to read some of the parts that jumped out at me, and then go to there.
Gynomite’s Emotional Assignment of the Day
Figure out your origin story.
I have a friend who is really into comic books and also happens to have had a rough childhood. He told me that he likes to think about himself as a superhero, and as all superheroes do, the things he’s been through are just part of what makes him such a badass superhero.
I love this.
Gynomite’s Emotional Assignment of the Day
Let’s check in on our personal wellness, shall we? This list of questions comes from The Anxiety and Phobia Workbook by Edmund J Bourne, and it’s a book a highly recommend for people with anxiety issues.
(Some of them are a little schmaltzy and clinical sounding, but they’re all good food for thought. So answer them, yeah?) Read the rest of this entry »
Gynomite’s Emotional Assignment of the Day
Hi all! This is a random little mental health tip, but since I’m actively using it today, I thought I’d pass it along. It may or may not be helpful to you. I have to use an inhaler very very rarely, and I always always forget how much it makes my heart race, which in turn stresses me out, which makes my heart race more, etc. So to help calm myself, I am using an old trick I actually learned from a client who had panic attacks all the time. He was always on the lookout for things that would occupy his mind without racheting up his stress level.
Gynomite’s Emotional Assignment of the Day
In any relationship, each person has a certain set of expectations of the other person, and when those expectations aren’t met, people get upset.
This is the easiest way to break down what conflict means.
When expectations aren’t met and we get upset, we go to the other person and tell them (if we’re good at communicating) what they did wrong. This is great, but let’s take this a step further: let’s start telling people what we would like them to do instead of how they fucked up. Because people aren’t mind readers, and they they will treat you how you ask to be treated.
Gynomite’s Emotional Assignment of the Day
I come from a family where OCD runs rampant,and while that has often been a bit disruptive, one important thing that I’ve learned from watching OCD in action is the importance of ritual, so today’s emotional assignment is recognizing the rituals already in your life and adding more.
Obviously, rather than anything involving black candles or weird chanting, rituals are just a series of acts that you do in order to commemorate something. I think the “something” is where most people get stuck.
Gynomite’s Emotional Assignment of the Day
Ladies, it’s time to stop finding reasons to hate beautiful women.
How many of you ladies were excited when dear Megan here started giving interviews to the press and revealed herself to be a bit of an idiot? How often have you been discussing her with others and said “yes, she’s pretty, but she’s so….. greasy looking!”
Gynomite’s Emotional Assignment of the Day
Ladies, it’s time to quiet down that shitty little voice inside you that whispers terrible self-defeating negative things all the time.
I’m talking about self talk.
Specifically, negative self talk.
More specifically, female negative self talk.
(Disclaimer: this is not to say that men don’t experience negative self talk, they do, but let’s be honest, Gynomite’s usually aiming more at lady issues)
Gynomite’s Emotional Assignment of the Day
Today’s emotional assignment? Take a step back and appreciate the view from way back here.
