How to Manage Your Affects
Often we do not recognize what brings us happiness. Affect theory gives us the Central Blueprint for Intimacy and Communication so we understand how to manifest happiness within our lives. Find below the four rules for the Central Blueprint with a road map to live a happy life.
The Central Blueprint has the following rules: 1. Maximize positive affects. 2. Minimize or reduce negative affects. 3. Express each activated affect. 4. When we implement these rules, we enhance our lives; anything that gets in the way of us being conscious of our affects activating or expressing them is not good for our live
Once we understand what activates our positive affects, we can easily implement Rule # 1. We can then minimize our negative affects with Rule #2 by paying attention to each activated affect so we can name them out loud and reduce the pressure on our emotional brain. When we express what we are feeling or name an affect we implement Rule # 3.
Are you able to remain in the present moment and name the affects as they activate?
Are you ready to implement an Affect Management system to insure you live a happy life? Be sure to order a copy of Conquering Trauma and Anxiety to Find Happiness so you can explore what interventions offered in this personal narrative work for you.
Understanding the Nine Affects
As emotional animals, we have a wide range of emotions. Our feelings let us know when an affect has activated. Our emotions come into play when we combine our unresolved backed-up affects to the mix. Below are the three categories of for our Nine Affects:
Positive Affects
1. Interest-Excitement (eyebrows down, track, look, listen)
2. Enjoyment-Joy (smile, lips widened up and out)
Neutral Affect
1. Surprise-Startle (eyebrows up, eyes blink)
Negative Affects
1. Distress-Anguish(cry, arched eyebrow, mouth down, tears)
2. Anger-Rage (frown, clenched jaw, red face)
3. Fear-Terror (eyes frozen open, pale, cold, sweaty, facial trembling)
4. Shame-Humiliation (eyes down, head down)
5. Digust (sneer, upper lip up)
6. Dissmell (nose and mouth squashed together)
Creating an Affect Management System
Once we understand the Biology behind our affects, feelings, and emotions, we can put strategies in place to insure our state of happiness. Next, we need to practice naming our affects out loud, so we can reduce stress in our lives. Next, we can explore ways to create systems and habits to strengthen our ability to cope and flourish.
First, we need to understand the power of empathy and compassion. By understanding how you function as a human being, you develop your ability to understand what others are also experiencing. We need to understand the importance of our social relationships and insure we experience meaning in our lives.
What are some strategies you would use to enhance your state of happiness?
Creating a Wholistic Approach to Affect Management
After understanding affect theory, affect labeling and the biology behind our affects, feelings, and emotions, we can put in place strategies to insure our happiness. Many of the drives offer us options to manage and strengthen our affects. For instance, diet, sleep, breathing are all an important part of any affect management system.
We can recognize food as medicine, so we carefully support our bodies through the food we eat. The power of exercise means we need an exercise routine to guide our lives. Sleeping 6 to 8 hours a night is imperative. Practicing mindfulness is an important strategy for any affect management system. Artistic therapy is also a great way to enhance our enjoyment in life.
What strategies are you going to introduce for your Affect Management System?
Living without Anxiety
Anxiety does not need to control your life. Understanding the nine affects and how to apply affect labeling will insure you have strategies to release anxiety when it takes hold. Remember it is not easy to change a pattern of behavior, so be kind to yourself and stay focused in the moment and name your affects out loud.
Remember a strong social life will you the best way to stay happy and healthy. You get to develop empathy and compassion as you come to understand yourself through the lives of others. No need to relive past trauma. However, a good therapist can always be a great addition to your life if you find someone who can support you.
What do you think is the most valuable tool offered through Affect Theory and Affect Labeling?