⏸️ 1. Pause and Notice
Ask yourself: What am I feeling?
When you feel something—sadness, anger, anxiety, joy—pause and name it:

“I’m feeling sad.”
“I’m feeling tense.”
Naming brings the feeling out of the swirl of thoughts and into clear awareness.

🫀 2. Locate It in the Body
Ask yourself: Where do I feel this?
Maybe your chest feels tight, your stomach heavy, your jaw clenched.
Just notice it, like an observer. You’re not trying to fix it—only to see it.

🌊 3. Allow It to Be
Ask yourself: Can I allow myself to feel this, just as it is?
Feelings are like waves — they rise, crest, and fall. Try not to push the feeling away (“I shouldn’t feel this”) or cling to it (“I’ll never get over this”). Instead, breathe and say internally:

“This is what sadness feels like.”
“I can allow this to move through me.”

👂 4. Listen to the Emotion
Ask yourself: If this emotion could speak, what would it say?
Every feeling, when fully felt, has something to teach us. It may soften, shift, or uncover what lies beneath — grief under anger, tenderness under frustration. You don’t have to force it or figure it out. Just give it space and listen.

❤️‍🩹 5. Understand Its Need
Ask yourself: What need is it signaling to me?
Emotions often surface to point us toward what needs care — rest, connection, safety, honesty, or comfort. Simply recognizing the need begins to ease the feeling.

➡️ 6. Express It
Ask yourself: What step can I take to meet that need?

Emotions need an outlet:
• Take it to God in prayer.
• Talk to someone safe.
• Journal or voice-note what you’re feeling.
• Move your body—walk, stretch, cry, breathe.

Expression helps the feeling move through you, rather than stay stuck inside.

🌿Feeling is how healing begins.

Carissa Raderstorf

Carissa Raderstorf

About the Author: Carissa

Carissa Raderstorf
For over 20 years, Carissa has been helping people grow in one capacity or another—as students, athletes, disciples, or leaders. She’s passionate about awakening others to the presence of God and incorporating emotional healing and relational growth into the discipleship process. Carissa, an ordained minister and board-certified pastoral counselor, oversees the Reset Retreats, Reset Together, and personalized Coaching and Intensives. She holds an M.A.E. from Olivet Nazarene University and Graduate Certificates in Counseling and Executive Coaching and Consulting from the Townsend Institute at CUI.