What If You Didn't Need to Feel Better to Live Better?
Briefly

The article discusses how traditional beliefs suggest that individuals must first eliminate negative emotions before engaging in meaningful actions. This notion perpetuates a cycle of experiential avoidance (EA), where people actively try to avoid discomfort, ultimately leading to a smaller emotional landscape. It also touches on experiential attachment, highlighting how the pursuit of happiness can paradoxically make it more elusive. Instead, acceptance is proposed as a healthier approach; it emphasizes acting in accordance with one's values, irrespective of current emotional states, allowing for fuller living and connection.
“You have to avoid feeling bad to feel good, and you need to feel good before you can do good. But it's a trap.”
“The more we begin to organize our lives around not feeling certain things, the more we numb ourselves, and the more our lives shrink.”
“This process is called experiential avoidance, or EA, and it's one of the most toxic ways of interacting with the world.”
“You don't need to feel better to live better, just start with what matters to you.”
Read at Psychology Today
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