TRYBE Tales - Weekly Wellness Edition

Wellness Wisdom Drops

FROM TRYBE

“Feel the feeling but don’t become the emotion. Witness it. Allow it. Release it.” - Crystal Andrus

Emotions are something we experience, it’s not who we are.

🧠 The Hard Stuff

An experience is stored as a memory + emotion in our brains, creating a neural pathway bonding the two together. So when we remember the good times, or the bad times, those intense neural pathways are reactivated, surfacing the same emotional and physiological responses in our bodies - wowza! The good news is that through neuroplasticity, the brain can rewire itself, diminishing the intensity of existing pathways and creating new ones, providing opportunities for healing and emotional transformation. The brain HEALS ya’ll - that is major!

🍦 The Soft Stuff

We are not our thoughts, just as we are not our emotions; they are experiences we have and carry with us, but they do not define our true essence. Embracing this understanding allows us to observe and accept our thoughts and emotions as transient aspects of our human experience, giving us a greater sense of self-awareness and connection with others - it makes us human. And you’re in luck - cause you ARE a human! And also because there is nothing more obnoxious than meeting someone who’s always got their sh*t polished - yes I’m talking to you Insta Kween with the breezy 6am morning routine, cozy socks coffee breaks and lusciously thriving house plant jungle situation.

^^ see what I did there? I was experiencing resentful and salty behaviour but I am not a resentful and salty person (unless you ask my parents).

 1. Cognitive Behaviour Therapy 🧠 

CBT (not to be confused with CBD, although both have their highs…😏) is a type of therapy that helps identify, challenge and change negative and problematic thought patterns, beliefs, emotions and behaviours. What awaits on the other side? Healthy perspectives, healthy emotional responses, and healthy control of our thoughts (yassss).

We recommend going straight to the experts who use this practice (licensed professionals including psychologists, registered psychotherapists, psychiatrists and social workers). But we also understand inflation is upon us (Big Mac Meals now cost $10 here, WILD) and money can be tight. So here’s a simple exercise to try until you’re ready to consult a professional:

• When triggered, right down your opinion in one sentence. For example, OPINION: I probably wasn’t invited to that super fun 4th of July pool party because no one likes me and my dance moves are too lit.

• Now rewrite that sentence into the facts. For example, FACT: I did not receive an invite.

• Experience emotional release by embracing the truth. As you can see the facts are situational, emotion-free truths we can remind ourselves so that we don’t hold onto the often untrue opinions we form

2. Mindfulness Practice 🧠 🍦

Mindfulness practices like meditation cultivate present-moment awareness and non-judgmental acceptance of thoughts and emotions. Doing these types of practices dampens activity in our amygdala and ramps up connections between the amygdala and prefrontal cortex (see above). This helps us be less reactive and recover better from stress. Plus recent studies show we can actually reduce the genes involved in inflammatory response and promote those genes involved with stability - this is change at a MOLECULAR level people 🤯 !! Basically this = greater sense of emotional well-being.

So try this 10-minute guided meditation on releasing negative emotions. And if you want more, email us at [email protected] and I’ll send you a free 14-day meditation challenge you can use to keep the good times rolling.

3. Emotional Release Letter 🍦

Time to let some things goooo. Please note, keep a box of tissues and chocolate handy because exercises like these can get emotional (and that’s totally encouraged).

• Write a heartfelt letter addressed to the person or situation associated with your emotional baggage - don’t hold back!

• After completing the letter, take a moment to reflect on the emotions and experiences you've expressed

• Then, in a separate letter respond to the on you just created, as if you were a friend giving you comfort and encouragement - offer yourself compassion, understanding, and support

And before we sign off, ask yourself this:

What’s one intrusive thought holding you back? What’s one thing you can do this week to prove that thought wrong?