Stay Well Be Well

06/01/2026

HOW TO PROCESS YOUR FEELINGS (Without Being Controlled by Them)

Feelings are not problems to fix.
They are messages to understand.

Most suffering doesn’t come from emotions themselves —
it comes from resisting them, suppressing them, or becoming lost inside them.

Here’s how to process your feelings with awareness, not avoidance:

1. PAUSE
Before reacting, pause.

Take a breath.
Slow your body down.

This pause creates space between what you feel and what you do.
In that space, wisdom can arise.

In Buddhism, this moment of pause is mindfulness —
the ability to see clearly instead of acting blindly.

Not every emotion needs an immediate response.
Some only need your attention.

2. NAME IT
Give the feeling a name.

Anger.
Sadness.
Fear.
Disappointment.
Joy.

Naming an emotion takes away its power to overwhelm you.
What is named becomes observed, not possessed.

You are not “angry.”
Anger is arising within you.

This subtle shift reminds you:
You are the observer, not the emotion.

3. FEEL IT (WITHOUT JUDGMENT)
Sit with the emotion instead of pushing it away.

Don’t label it as good or bad.
Don’t rush to escape it.
Don’t shame yourself for feeling it.

Feelings are like waves —
they rise, peak, and fall if you don’t fight them.

In Buddhist practice, this is equanimity:
allowing what is, without clinging or aversion.

What you resist persists.
What you allow, softens.

4. ASK WHY
Gently explore the root.

What triggered this feeling?
What expectation was unmet?
What attachment was touched?

Often, emotions reveal hidden truths —
unhealed wounds, unmet needs, or false stories we tell ourselves.

This is not about blaming yourself or others.
It’s about understanding.

Awareness turns pain into insight.

5. RELEASE
Once understood, let it move through you.

Breathe deeply.
Write it out.
Speak to someone you trust.
Sit quietly and watch it fade.

Feelings are energy.
If they are not expressed or released, they become stored tension.

Release does not mean forgetting.
It means not carrying unnecessary weight.

6. SHIFT
After release, gently redirect your energy.

Toward calm.
Toward kindness.
Toward something constructive.

Not as an escape —
but as a conscious choice.

This is wisdom in action:
choosing peace over rumination, growth over repetition.

FINAL TRUTH.

Feelings are temporary guests.
They come to teach, not to stay forever.

Suffering begins when you cling.
Freedom begins when you observe, understand, and let go.

You don’t need to control your emotions.
You need to befriend them — and know when to let them leave.

🧘‍♂️ Nothing that arises is meant to be held onto forever.

31/12/2025

17/12/2025

Thankyou to the Buddhism FB Page

07/12/2025

Christmas is a wonderful time of year to catch up with family and friends, enjoy some Christmas functions, eat delicious food and for many having some time off. On the other hand
Christmas can also be a very demanding time, and if our resources to cope with those demands are out of balance with expectations then Christmas time can be very stressful.

-With many people in our community experiencing financial hardship due to an increasing cost of living and a housing crisis, hosting Christmas might be financially stressful.

-Running around attending events, shopping and organising for Christmas can leave you time poor and tired.

-Many families experience tension and may only come together for Christmas and important family events. Spending time together can be emotionally stressful.

-Some people may not have family to spend Christmas with and find this time of year lonely. Some people have just divorced or have lost a loved one. Or are remembering happier Christmas times past.

-Some may find themselves reflecting on another year past and whether goals or achievements have been met.

If you are experiencing any of these try these simple steps.

1)Take stock of the situation-what is it that is bothering you or you are finding challenging
2)What emotions are you experiencing about this issue
3)Where in the body are you feeling it
4)Just observe the feeling without judgement
5)Decide if there is a way forward through this challenge
6)Is there anything that can be done or changed or not done that would make things easier
7)Break that solution down into steps
8)Write down the next step to take (important - do not write down any other steps until the first one is completed)
9)Complete the step
10)Reflect on what you have achieved and write the next step

Keep repeating 9 and 10 until you have achieved your goal

Remember that the spirit of Christmas is about sharing, giving, peace and love.

Wishing you a peaceful and loving Christmas.

06/12/2025

Stress and Big Emotions
Stress is the name we give to challenges that impact our internal stability or balance ( homeostasis) which triggers the nervous and endocrine system to restore our inner stability. This response to stress is crucial for human survival ( fight flight freeze response), but if this state goes on for a long time, then these systems become overwhelmed and can cause dysregulation (having trouble managing emotions) and health problems).When there is too much stress then we can feel hyperaroused (anxious, panicked or angry ) or hypoaroused (numb, disconnected or shutdown).
These responses can be influenced by:
early childhood experience of trauma,
hunger tiredness or pain,
how resilient or skilled we are at dealing with stressors

It is important to understand that reacting to stressors occurs more quickly that we can consciously control, and people often feel ashamed of their reactions, which in turn creates more stress.
Example:
You’re getting ready for work and the TV is blaring, children are not listening when you ask them to get ready, you all get in the car to leave planning to get breakfast on the way and the car battery is flat, you go to call the RACQ and there is no charge because the children have been watching videos on it. Everyone is hungry and wants to know when breakfast is. You can feel the tension rising inside and you might have yelled for everyone to be quiet. Sad little faces immediately leave you feeling like the worst parent in the world. Sound familiar?
Every day parents, workers, students, teachers, emergency service workers, health workers etc are experiencing high levels of stress, and if they have other issues going on their lives the stress compounds, and can lead to anxiety, panic and anger or numbness, disconnection and shutdown.

Common causes of stress: job loss, workplace bullying, retirement;
lack of financial resources;
grief and loss;
marriage or divorce;
poor health;
moving house;
family problems

Managing stress is an important part of life and though no-one can remove all stress from their lives, it is possible to put in place healthy habits that can lessen the likelihood of stressful life events becoming overwhelming. Diet, exercise, journalling, meditation and mindfulness, goal setting, time in nature, pets and hobbies can all help us retain our equilibrium and regulate our emotions. A balanced life doesn't sound glamorous but what it lacks in glamour, it gains in serenity.

If the subjects here have raised awareness that stress is affecting your life you can get help by speaking to a GP, psychologist or social worker.

05/12/2025

Stress, what is it and is it affecting your life?
Stress is commonly experienced in workplaces, educational facilities, and within relationships or anywhere we may feel external pressure or fear we might fail. Stress can also be experienced internally when we judge or think about an external situation a certain way. For instance, I might have a racing heart and a worried mind because I am running late for a job interview, after I spilled coffee on my self and had to change, and the traffic is much heavier today than usual. Feeling stressed in this situation would be normal and we all can get stressed sometimes. Stress can even be helpful and motivating, but when the stress is unrelenting and lasts for weeks or even months, then it can result in illness either physically or mentally or both. Interestingly stress is a little bit like food. Having adequate healthy food and a treat now and then is good for us, but too much leads to being overweight and may contribute to acquiring illnesses like heart disease and diabetes. People may eat more to manage the emotional aspects of being overweight, and a cycle of emotional eating can occur leading to further weight gain.
Similarly chronic stress occurs when there is no time to recover between stressful events and can lead to a person developing mental illnesses like anxiety, and depression. In turn the effects of anxiety and depression on our lives is stressful, and can lead to a feedback loop where the elements of stress, anxiety and depression feed into each other resulting in feeling more stressed anxious and depressed.
Like overeating, prevention of stress is better than a cure. We know that adopting healthy habits like a nutritious diet, regular and effective exercise and getting enough sleep can help us maintain a healthy weight, but the good news is it can also reduce the effects of stress, and the risk of developing anxiety and depression. There are also many other ways to reduce stress such as music, meditation, yoga, and journalling to name a few.

If however stress is affecting your life adversely it is advisable to seek professional support.

Talk to your GP, or community health centre, or counsellor :

If you are feeling depressed or anxious about the stress
If you are stressed often
If you feel like you have no control over what is stressing you
If your reactions to the stress seems extreme

30/11/2025

This Week In Science (November 23 – 29) 🧪

We creep closer to a cure for type 1 diabetes, find a new branch of the tree of life, ponder being struck by a black hole, and much more!

Links to the full articles 📖
Diabetes https://buff.ly/585wdi5
Rock https://buff.ly/Ibikf3j
Vision https://buff.ly/aJtRh31
Life https://buff.ly/oblDdXA
Black hole https://buff.ly/ttQNuGN
Alzheimer's https://buff.ly/MjZAP4u