Feeling Bad Is Actually Good 169
turning away from your emotion, try to bring your awareness back
to the emotion. Simply try to cultivate an open attitude toward the
emotion. Do this at least three times a week, for five minutes.
Exercise 7.3: Accept the Emotion Once you become aware
of a feeling , take a moment to pause and simply acknowledge that
you are feeling an emotion. A fter ten to fifteen seconds, label the
emotion as specifically as possible. Continue to sit with the emo-
tion, and try not to judge it but simply notice its presence. Now,
focus on the emotion, as well as any thoughts you have about the
emotion. Resist the urge to react, inhibit, avoid, suppress, or over-
come the emotion. If you notice yourself turning away from the
emotion, try to bring your awareness back to the emotion, as well
as your thoughts about the emotion. Simply try to cultivate an atti-
tude of acceptance toward the emotion. Do this at least two times a
week, for ten minutes.
Exercise 7.4: Fully Accept the Emotion Once you become
aware of a feeling , take a moment to pause and simply acknowl-
edge that you are feeling an emotion. A fter ten to fifteen seconds,
label the emotion as specifically as possible. Continue to sit with
the emotion, and try not to judge it but simply notice its presence.
Now, focus on the emotion, any thoughts you have about the emo-
tion, and any bodily sensations you have in response to the emo-
tion. Resist the urge to react, inhibit, avoid, suppress, or overcome
the emotion. If you notice yourself turning away from the emotion,
try to bring your awareness back to the emotion, as well as your
thoughts about the emotion. Simply try to cultivate an attitude of
acceptance toward the emotion. Do this at least twice a week, for
ten minutes.
Repeat exercises 7.1– 7.4 by connecting to both pleasant
and unpleasant emotions (separately, not simultaneously).