You Can’t have Two Emotions At the Same Time

Recently I read or heard that you can’t have two emotions at the same time. That got me thinking…

So, you can’t be angry and grateful at the same time?

Can’t you be happy and depressed at the same time?

In thinking about it, you can’t!

Don’t you love this?

How can you use this knowledge to the best effect?

The best way I’ve figured out, and that I help my coaching clients with is actually the key to any kind of shift or improvement. It’s AWARENESS.
Here’s how it plays out:
You feel yourself getting angry, frustrated, upset…. And as you feel this, it gets stronger and before you know it you’ve lashed out at someone, or said something unkind to a stranger, or stuffed something in your mouth you didn’t want to eat to stop yourself from saying anything. (This has been one of my top tactics in the past, and I have the extra poundage as a result I’m sad to say)
Here’s how awareness can shift this scenario going forward:
You feel yourself getting angry, frustrated, upset…. And as you feel this, you decide to:
Count your blessings – and make a goal to count 10 blessings before you speak
Take a breath and visualize something you love for 20 seconds and that tiny bit of time turns your thoughts to love or admiration.
You clamp your lips shut and turn the corners up into a grin (yes, it may appear at the beginning to look like a grimace but it will turn into a smile if you leave those lips turned up!)

Blessings,
Shawna Schuh, CSP