Accepting Your Full Range of Emotions Through Mindfulness Skills

I lost my grandma a few weeks ago, and if there’s one thing I’ve learned about the grieving process, it’s that every day feels different. Some days I wake up and it feels like a regular day – I feel good and energized. Some days I volley back and forth between sadness and peace, and other days are strictly reserved for sadness and feeling the loss.

Like many people, I like to be in control of how I’m feeling, so acknowledging and accepting the unpredictable, mixed emotions that happen each day has been a challenge for me. We’ve all been experiencing grief and loss during this pandemic, whether it be the loss of a loved one, a job, or grieving the way life used to be before COVID-19. Sitting with all of these emotions is uncomfortable, but each one is important.

Emotions Aren’t “Good” and “Bad”

As humans, we tend to want to think of emotions on the binary – either they’re good or bad. When emotions give us pleasant feelings, we welcome and embrace them; when they bring tears and pain to the surface, we tend to want to block them out. Not allowing yourself to experience your full range of emotions can affect your happiness, energy, performance, and overall well-being, and although it’s hard to remember in the moment, each emotion is valid and it’s okay to feel exactly how you feel in the moment.

Like any healthy habit, learning how to acknowledge and accept each emotion as it is without judgment takes building skills through daily mindfulness practice. And the eMCC Challenge through eM Life is a great place to start.

Build Mindfulness Skills and Earn Badges All Month Long

May is Mental Health Awareness Month, and it’s a great time to focus on your personal growth. Showing up for yourself and improving your well-being can make a difference at work, home, and in your personal relationships, and eM Life has a wide range of live and on-demand mindfulness programs to help you get started on your own mindfulness journey.

The eMCC Challenge spotlights three mindfulness skills – focus, awareness, and attitudes of mindfulness. From May 1st-31st, you can earn badges and rewards by:

• Participating in any Mindful Daily or on-demand episode associated with the focus, awareness or attitudes of mindfulness skills
• Participating in all 14 Mindful Daily and on-demand episodes associated to focus, awareness or attitudes of mindfulness skills
• Participating in any of 21 Mindful Daily or on-demand episodes associated with the focus, awareness or attitudes of mindfulness skills. Plus, earn a 1:1 mindfulness mentoring session!

In addition to the challenge rewards, learning how to embrace and accept all of your emotions, even the ones that don’t feel good, is a prize that can carry you through every day with a healthier, more grounded mindset. 

Written by Becky Greiner