Calming the Storm: Understanding Your Emotional Bucket
Description
When you are living with anxiety, it can feel like you are constantly bracing for a storm that never quite arrives. You might find yourself worrying about things that others seem to breeze through, or perhaps you feel a low-level sense of dread that you just can't shake. One way I like to explain this to my clients is by using the idea of an emotional bucket.
We all have one of these internal buckets. Throughout the day, different things pour into it. It could be a stressful email, a difficult conversation, or even just the background noise of a busy town centre. If your bucket is already half-full because of long-term stress or unmet needs, it doesn't take much for it to overflow. When the bucket overflows, that is when we experience a panic attack or a period of intense anxiety.
The goal of our work together isn't just to stop things from falling into the bucket. Life happens, and some stress is inevitable. Instead, we look at how to create a hole in the bottom of the bucket so that the stress can drain away naturally. We do this by looking at your innate emotional needs. If you are not getting enough quality sleep, or if you feel lonely or lacking in a sense of achievement, your bucket stays fuller for longer.
Today, try to visualise your own bucket. What is currently taking up the most space in there? Simply acknowledging that your container is a bit full can sometimes take the edge off the self-criticism that often comes with anxiety. You aren't failing at life. You are just carrying a very full bucket, and it is time we found some ways to let some of that liquid out.
My Services:
When you are living with anxiety, it can feel like you are constantly bracing for a storm that never quite arrives. You might find yourself worrying about things that others seem to breeze through, or perhaps you feel a low-level sense of dread that you just can't shake. One way I like to explain this to my clients is by using the idea of an emotional bucket.
We all have one of these internal buckets. Throughout the day, different things pour into it. It could be a stressful email, a difficult conversation, or even just the background noise of a busy town centre. If your bucket is already half-full because of long-term stress or unmet needs, it doesn't take much for it to overflow. When the bucket overflows, that is when we experience a panic attack or a period of intense anxiety.
The goal of our work together isn't just to stop things from falling into the bucket. Life happens, and some stress is inevitable. Instead, we look at how to create a hole in the bottom of the bucket so that the stress can drain away naturally. We do this by looking at your innate emotional needs. If you are not getting enough quality sleep, or if you feel lonely or lacking in a sense of achievement, your bucket stays fuller for longer.
Today, try to visualise your own bucket. What is currently taking up the most space in there? Simply acknowledging that your container is a bit full can sometimes take the edge off the self-criticism that often comes with anxiety. You aren't failing at life. You are just carrying a very full bucket, and it is time we found some ways to let some of that liquid out.
Who this is for:
When you are living with anxiety, it can feel like you are constantly bracing for a storm that never quite arrives. You might find yourself worrying about things that others seem to breeze through, or perhaps you feel a low-level sense of dread that you just can't shake. One way I like to explain this to my clients is by using the idea of an emotional bucket.
We all have one of these internal buckets. Throughout the day, different things pour into it. It could be a stressful email, a difficult conversation, or even just the background noise of a busy town centre. If your bucket is already half-full because of long-term stress or unmet needs, it doesn't take much for it to overflow. When the bucket overflows, that is when we experience a panic attack or a period of intense anxiety.
The goal of our work together isn't just to stop things from falling into the bucket. Life happens, and some stress is inevitable. Instead, we look at how to create a hole in the bottom of the bucket so that the stress can drain away naturally. We do this by looking at your innate emotional needs. If you are not getting enough quality sleep, or if you feel lonely or lacking in a sense of achievement, your bucket stays fuller for longer.
Today, try to visualise your own bucket. What is currently taking up the most space in there? Simply acknowledging that your container is a bit full can sometimes take the edge off the self-criticism that often comes with anxiety. You aren't failing at life. You are just carrying a very full bucket, and it is time we found some ways to let some of that liquid out.