| Are you in control of your emotions, or do your | | | | will determine your response before you even |
| emotions control you? | | | | have a single rational thought about the |
| Tell me if you've had this experience: You stuff | | | | experience. |
| yourself at dinner, and later that night or the next | | | | When you see that dessert, and then half of it is |
| day while you're thinking back on what a glutton | | | | in your mouth before you even realize it, you've |
| you were, you promise yourself that you'll never | | | | had an emotional reaction that completely |
| do that again. Starting now, you're turning over a | | | | bypassed your logical brain. |
| new leaf. Things are going to be different! And | | | | As logical as you think you are--especially you |
| they are... for a few days, maybe. But before you | | | | men--you are first and foremost an emotional |
| know it, your old eating habits have returned. | | | | creature. To be successful in life, you must learn |
| Why? | | | | how to manage your emotions. The extent to |
| A few years ago, I restricted myself to a special | | | | which you can manage your emotions is referred |
| diet--vegetables and fruits only--for 6 weeks as | | | | to as Emotional Intelligence (EQ for short). |
| part of a cleanse program I was doing. I was | | | | So I ask again, are you in control of your |
| shocked by how difficult it was. I craved things | | | | emotions, or do your emotions control you? |
| like pizza and cookies, not out of hunger, but out | | | | In order to make a lifestyle change like changing |
| of an emotional need for them. It was only when | | | | your diet, you must have a high level of personal |
| I stopped eating my "comfort foods" that I | | | | EQ. Without it, your actions and reactions become |
| realized just how out of control I was--my | | | | emotional compulsions instead of rational choices. |
| emotions had been controlling my eating choices. | | | | Personal EQ consists of two parts: |
| Maybe you're aware of your emotional | | | | 1. Self-awareness |
| attachment to certain foods, maybe you're not. | | | | 2. Self-management |
| But food choice is just one of the ways we are | | | | Self-awareness of your emotions is increased |
| controlled by our emotions. | | | | simply by asking yourself throughout the day, |
| To understand why, let's look at how the brain | | | | "What am I feeling right now? Why am I feeling |
| works. | | | | this way?" |
| Whenever you experience something with any of | | | | Self-management of your emotions is increased |
| your five senses, that signal travels through your | | | | by asking yourself the additional question, "What |
| nervous system to your brain. It enters you brain | | | | am I going to do with this emotion right now?" |
| at the back and travels across the brain to the | | | | The good news is that increasing your |
| front, where rational thinking takes place. But | | | | self-awareness has a snowball effect (it gets |
| before it reaches the front of your brain it travels | | | | easier the more you do it), and it leads very |
| through the limbic system. This is the emotional | | | | naturally to increased self-management. Make it a |
| center of the brain. | | | | daily practice to ask those questions and you'll |
| What this all means is that every experience you | | | | soon feel like an expert. |
| have goes through the emotional center of your | | | | The objective here is not to stop feeling your |
| brain before it gets to the rational center! | | | | emotions, but to become aware of them so that |
| This has two stunning implications: | | | | they do not control you. That way you will make |
| 1. Every experience has an emotional component | | | | more conscious eating choices that support your |
| whether you're conscious of it or not. | | | | health goals. |
| 2. If your emotional reaction is strong enough, it | | | | ©2007 Curtis G. |