We all experience negative emotions such as fear, sadness, anger, and despair throughout the course of our lives. These emotions have the potential to influence our decisions, actions, and interactions, but only if we let them. Instead of allowing our negative emotions to control us or hold us back, we can choose to use them to our advantage. Learning how to channel them can be a fruitful journey towards personal growth and emotional wellbeing.
Embracing negative emotions and viewing them as a fundamental part of our existence is an inherent characteristic of our individual. Each negative emotion has an untapped potential to further our desires and aspirations. Instead of seeing them as destructive or paralysing, we can use these negative emotions to pursue growth and inner peace.
Here are a few tips to use negative emotions as stepping stones to find happiness and growth in life.
Sadness for better focus and productivity
Sadness can trigger stress and depression in life. Some succumb to its intensity, while others channel their emotions in a more productive way. The latter are the ones who come out stronger than before.
According to psychology professor Joseph Forgas, the benefits of sadness are many. A University of New South Wales report by Forgas states that people dealing with a gloomy mood perform tasks better than those in a good mood. Sadness is associated with psychological rewards too, which can help us focus and bring positive changes at various cognitive and behavioural levels.
Using suffering as a motivator
Although adverse circumstances may not always be under our control, how we perceive them is. Suffering is personal and unique to each of us and how we tackle the situation decides whether it will aid in personal growth or loss. Referring to pain and suffering as “travelling professors”, celebrated author and philanthropist Glennon Doyle Melton says, “The smartest people I know are the people who say, come in and don’t leave until you have taught me what I need to know.” Pushing forth the idea that your pain can teach, push, and motivate you to your greatest personal breakthroughs.
Take for instance the efforts of women—mothers of children who lost their lives to the recklessness of drunken drivers—who founded MADD (Mothers Against Drunk Drivers) to put an end to drunk driving. It is the perfect example of using pain and suffering as a stimulant to create something significant and prominent—such as MADD—that can help others as well.
Embrace negative emotions and use them as motivators for personal growth and positive change.
Sadness can enhance focus and productivity and bring about positive changes at cognitive and behavioural levels.
Channel anger to remove distractions, plan better, and communicate effectively.
Confront fears, understand their root causes, and transform them into sources of empowerment and growth.
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