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Feeling all of our emotions and dealing with them in life-supportive ways is hard work. The other option? Try to ignore, suppress or numb the hard emotions.
Thing is, though, our emotions, including the really hard ones like anger and sadness, have to go somewhere. If we do not intentionally and courageously feel them and learn how to cope in ways that help us, we will be drawn to releasing them in ways that hurt us (in the disordered eating world this might be restricting food or over-exercising).
Through my own healing process, I learned how to feel all over again, which also means I had to develop life-supportive coping tools to help me navigate the hard feelings that inevitably come with being a human.
While I have several coping tools, writing poetry is my soul's favorite way to get out what feels heavy and also what feels hopeful. So, for today's post, I am sharing a guide I created for you, if you are interested in developing or expanding your healthy coping toolkit:
Also, I am sharing one of my recent poems that was inspired by a beautiful painting one of my best friends painted and so graciously let me keep:
Rainbow Eyes
I thought it would always be this way.
Encased by four walls,
Just trying to make them proud.
Doing what was "good."
The world was black and white.
My soul -- consumed by the dark.
That storm guided me to the edge.
Each step I took beyond
brought me yellow.
Each soul I met and loved,
who loved mine back,
gifted me orange.
Each new place that lifted my mind
sent me red.
Each bite of fresh cheese or bread
gave me pink.
Each sip of rich red wine
offered me purple.
Each dip in the Mediterranean
showed me blue.
Each walk in an unknown wood
presented me green.
Just like that,
The skies turned.
I was seeing in color
with a new pair of rainbow eyes.
If you need help with finding peace with food, body & movement, please send us a message.
In true health,
Caroline