>> Why We Have This Emotion
Relief marks the end of danger. It comes as a downshifting of our arousal so that we can recover, learn, and recalibrate without having to remain vigilant to potential dangers around us.
◎ What to do in the moment
Good Ideas
- Name the win, and note the cause
- Do a body scan & unclench muscles
- Capture a lesson for next time
- Update plans with the new reality
- Send thanks to those who helped
- Remove now-irrelevant reminders
- Basic care: Eat, hydrate, stretch
Bad Ideas
- Jump into new commitments
- Swing into overconfidence
- Stop routines that got you through
- Celebrate with risky spending
- Binge to “reward” yourself
- Gloat to people who were worried
- Rewrite history to deny the stress