Weathering An Emotional Storm: You Have Choices

photo: LadyDragonflyCC, Creative Commons

I use the term “emotional storm” metaphorically to represent times of emotional crisis in your life where you need to seek shelter in safety, connection with others, love and calmness, not just a physical shelter. An “emotional storm” can arise suddenly and consist of intense fear, chaos, anger, and a sense of unknowing. Many of us are celebrating the arrival of spring after a long winter of crazy storms like the one that crippled the city of Atlanta at the end of January. Along with the physical storm of bitter temperatures, snow, and ice came the emotional effects of intense fear, anger, and chaos. Whether you were stuck in gridlock traffic for countless terrifying hours, stayed over at the office or took the day off work and stayed home, you very likely weathered an emotional storm along with the physical one.

Having choices can help us in weathering an emotional storm.

Empower yourself by exploring your options and realize you have choices when things appear out of your control. Attempt to be thoughtful and purposeful in your decision making versus reacting out of fear, anger, or panic. On the day of the “Snow Jam” here in Atlanta, I made a thoughtful decision to get plenty of food, water, and gas before merging onto the expressway on my way home. I had an intense fear of the unknown but made the choice to empower myself by choosing to be prepared.

We heard lots of stories of people weathering the storm both physically & emotionally.

Some people decided to help others versus feeling helpless. Some people decided to risk tackling the ice versus feeling defeated. And others just stopped at the nearest place of shelter in order to feel emotionally safe. Regardless of the outcome of your choice, the ability to weather your emotional storm lies in utilizing your power to explore and make choices to restore a sense of control and calmness. Porsha Williams, LAMFT