Emotional Management

For Emotional Rollercoaster Rides

I thought that I had a thorough understanding of the term "emotional rollercoaster" before I became a parent. Perhaps I did, but I now can identify with an almost physical nausea from the rapid cycling of my moods within just a day's time--much like what can be experienced from an actual amusement park ride. Autism parenting has presented to me many, many days where I've been candidly caught staring off into the distance as if a bright light had been shone into my eyes. And there have been many moments where I simply didn't know my way forward because I failed to comprehend just what was occurring inside of me emotionally at the time.

I could initially feel overwhelmed from information overload at the doctor's office. And next, I could feel proud at one of my children's accomplishments or developments during a therapy session. Then, I'd feel lonely and isolated during my commute home if I decided to not play any music on the trip. My head would figuratively "sizzle" from being fried by rapid-fire emotional input at bedtime, and I'd find myself in a state of thinking about absolutely nothing at all for as long as possible to give myself a break from it all long enough to fall asleep.

I found it difficult to sustain my functionality while enduring this onslaught of mental torment on a daily basis. I made a decision one day to pursue the development of coping skills along with the practice of being gentle with myself in an act of self-care in order to nurture myself back into a semblance of wellness--for myself and for my family. Thankfully, there was no shortage of strategies to approach my dilemma with, and I appointed myself as an object of priority when I began my trial of emotional management techniques. Here are a few of my preferred methods:

1. Self Reflection: Taking the conscious time to reflect on just what emotion I was experiencing took some practice at first. But I improved my ability to identify what I was feeling in the moment and then source its triggering event. I would then explore the different reasons for my particular reactions, and I was even able to use this self-reflection to change my behaviors into mirroring what I desired to see from myself. This was very powerful.

2. Mindfulness and Meditation: I didn't have to become an enlightened guru to experience and appreciate the profound effects that simply being mindful and meditating had on my life. I would use deep breathing to bring myself into a calm state of being, from which I was more able to stay with the present moment. Withdrawing my thoughts and energy from the past and future nurtured and preserved my emotional wellness from becoming as chaotic as my outside environment.

3. Journaling: taking the time to actively engage in writing down my thoughts had a very cathartic effect on me. When I would before feel alone and isolated, keeping a journaling habit gave me the benefits of self-expression, even with no one else around. I also had the added benefit of being able to visualize my thoughts, which made them all the easier to process and analyze. The clarity was outstanding and much-appreciated.

I take care to remind myself that emotional management is an ongoing, ever-evolving practice that I must remain committed to. I encourage you parents to begin your own journeys of self-prioritization and to get around to developing stronger coping skills and more deeply learning emotional management for yourselves. There is no shortage of ways to accomplish this, so finding unique strategies that resonate with you is a very possible thing. Feel free to start however you'd like. Just know that starting is the key.