How many of you suffer from mixed emotions?
I am not talking about a particular gender who are at the mercy of their hormones, although hormones have to take some responsibility here. I am talking about men and women equally who are suffering from mixed emotions on a daily/ weekly/ monthly/ yearly basis and have no idea how to feel in balance and control again.
Maybe you are just feeling sad, grieving or just things are not going as you had once envisaged. It is possible to just feel sad but even that makes us feel utterly helpless and failing to feel happy makes you feel worse.
A few places can make us feel under more pressure.
First, let us start with the “workplace” as this is where some of us spend large chunks of our time.
Now the workplace has a tremendous impact on your quality of life outside of work too. If you ask those around you, your co-workers, friends, neighbours, and of course family what they’ve been up to lately, there’s a good chance you’ll get a chorus of busy responses, a rattled off a list of obligations and to-do lists that we all have little or no time for.
OK, let’s start here…
How can we fully disconnect with the workplace when technology is so predominant now?
24 hours of connect-ability, no boundaries are in place anymore, when you left work before this technology became so predominant you LEFT WORK.
Let us not forget though that we are indeed very lucky in the way that we have such advanced technology but also the downside is we are never really switched off.
How can you unwind and pursue valuable leisure pursuits if you are always available to everyone? OVERWORK! Not the hard work but OVERWORK that leaves you burnt out and disengaged and fried, without energy to do anything other than flop in front of the TV, or look at social media just so you can ZONE OUT!
Not quite the leisure activity that makes you feel alive, refreshed and fully human again by spending time with those you love. Work hours have spilled over into valuable family time as well as sleep and leisure time.
So you see the workplace can bleed into our daily lives and dominate it. This is one of the reasons you may be feeling mixed emotions on a yo-yo basis. We tend to feel stress when we feel overwhelmed and then with that emotion comes anger and frustration. It’s a lot of feelings to have in one hit.
Although stress is a natural physical and mental reaction to both good and bad experiences that can be beneficial to your health and safety. Your body responds to stress by releasing hormones and increasing your heart and breathing rates. Your brain gets more oxygen, giving you an edge in responding to a problem. In the short term, stress helps you cope with tough situations. The problem is the long-term effects of stress.
For more info on long-term effects.
What else could be giving you mixed emotions?
Maybe you have just given birth and need an outlet?
I know that when having a baby you are in an emotional bubble, I also know that when the visitors have stopped coming so often and you are alone in the day either a stay at home mum or dad you are recommended to find baby groups or generally do things with your child/ children. It can be hard.
You have this precious child/children and you feel miserable?
Your life has changed beyond your wildest thoughts and throw in some sleep deprivation and unbalanced hormones and you are right there in the middle of it all.
Please do not ignore how you feel as what is known as “Baby Blues” can happen to men and women, Yes, men do feel it too, It may sound strange to say that men experience hormonal changes, after all, they haven’t given birth. But our bodies respond to our circumstances.
PLEASE DO NOT IGNORE THESE SYMPTOMS
- Mood swings.
- Anxiety.
- Sadness.
- Irritability.
- Feeling overwhelmed.
- Crying.
- Reduced concentration.
- Appetite problems.
- Hopelessness
- Feelings of worthlessness, shame, guilt or inadequacy
- Diminished ability to think clearly, concentrate or make decisions
- Restlessness
- Severe anxiety and panic attacks
- Thoughts of harming yourself or your baby
- Recurrent thoughts of death or suicide
Here is a helpline…
https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/post-natal-depression/
What about just a complete Lack of Motivation.
Motivation requires motive. The greater the potential positive impact that an action or behaviour of yours can have on your life, once you define it clearly, the more motivated you will be to overcome procrastination and get it done.
This was from the book “Eat that Frog” by Brian Tracy, a great book by the way,
I highly recommend.
Quote below by Napoleon (Very apt actually)
“There is one quality that one must possess to win, that is definiteness of purpose, the knowledge of what one wants and a burning desire to achieve it.”
So knowing what you want and stopping at nothing to get it. You may need to switch off your social media/tv to get there. A small price to pay for carving the future that you want and not the one you settled for.
I speak to people every day that are BUSY, MANIC, STRESSED and above all LOST. We all have a choice to have the lives we want and it’s not easy but it is possible.
Ok, one more passage from Eat That Frog. (Yes honestly, only one more)
“In the end, success in any area requires tons of self-discipline, self-mastery and self-control, and these are the building blocks of character and high performance”
www.tonyrobins.com (My personal favourite)
(Amazing motivational Coach)
What else can have an effect on how we feel?
BLOOD SUGAR
Our blood sugar has a huge impact on our emotions. It affects our brains as well as our body, hence the emotional changes that occur.
Abnormally high or low blood sugar can affect emotions. Unusually low blood sugar also known as hypoglycemia can cause feelings of anxiety and confusion.
Hypoglycemia can also make it hard to complete routine tasks and can lead to abnormal behaviour. High blood glucose, on the other hand, can cause fatigue.
So you see blood sugar has a major effect on how we feel. Emotional stress leads to two hormones being released which are cortisol and ephedrine.
Both of these hormones can cause a rise in blood glucose levels. People with diabetes already have trouble regulating blood sugar, so emotional stress can lead to dangerously high blood sugar levels.
Constant changes in high and low blood sugar which are called spikes and lows can also add to the cause of diabetes in the long term. It’s so important to keep your blood sugar on an even keel.
FYI
Eating fruit causes blood sugar to spike, Some fruits more so than others but still the same as a chocolate bar so please balance out your fruit with some good healthy protein, for example, fruit with a few natural unsalted nuts or a spoonful of natural nut butter.
If you have an allergy to nuts then some lean protein with your fruit or a piece of cheese will help keep them balanced.
So a few reasons for mixed emotions but if you would like more information please email me directly. Mixed emotions can be helped with a healthy balanced diet and maybe you are lacking in certain vitamins or minerals. This can all be helped so don’t worry.
Bullying
For children and adults, bullying can be an issue. If you feel you are being bullied or you know someone that is being treated unfairly please seek help or advice. Schools and workplaces have procedures to follow so get a copy and follow the steps advised.
Helpline…
https://www.nationalbullyinghelpline.co.uk/contact.html
Please do not ignore feelings of unexplained sadness or feelings of overwhelm and lack of feeling what is socially acceptable. If you or someone close to you feel sad or generally down then please do not ignore them, sometimes all someone needs is an ear.
Please refer to a GP or a counselor if you want to talk or contact the many helplines available.
https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/stress-anxiety-depression/mental-health-helplines/
While tackling these issues I would like to say DIET can be a major cause of mixed emotions. The wrong foods for your body as we are all individual and have very individual needs can be detrimental to your overall health.
If you ignore a person with an intolerance they would get sick, so you adjust the diet and lifestyle to gain optimum health. When we are healthy we feel better and more energised. When we sleep we feel better able to cope with life in general.
Email me directly for more advice on what to eat to gain energy and some general tips on day to day eating. What to avoid and what to increase.
Friendly Family Nutrition
Maria1tait@gmail.com
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