Emotional Module

Question #1. Have you ever been in a situation where your perception has been affected by possible low brain function caused by stress? Describe how you felt during this situation and what steps you took to destress.
Answer #1: I have huge issues with perceiving situations in an inaccurate way. For example, I will think that one tiny mistake is massive. This past weekend, I tried to set up my TV with my boyfriend. It wasn’t working. We needed to leave so I could babysit. I was rushing because I was running late and I was shouting a bit and freaking out because my tea wasn’t boiling fast enough. Then, we were in the car and my bag fell in the backseat and I was worried my tea would spill and ruin my laptop. I screamed and made my boyfriend pull over so I could fix the bag. I quickly had spiraled from slightly upset to a crying mess in about ten minutes. I was able to just hold my boyfriend’s hand and explain what happened and we talked about it. After years of self-reflection, I’m pretty well attuned to my emotions. I’m usually able to identify the causes and the particular tools I need to use to decompress.

Question #2. How have you overcome negative thoughts or pessimism?
Answer #2: I am still unable to overcome negative thoughts, both about me and about situations. I struggle with this daily.

Question #3. How can you be more present and intentional in your everyday decision making and activities?
Answer #3: I try very hard to do one random act of kindness every day. I also try to learn one new fact every day. I focus on the positives in my life, like my boyfriend, my family, and my friends. I try to plan my homework and activities for two weeks at a time as to not get too overwhelmed; however, I always look at my monthly and semesterly calendars as well. I also try to have something fun to look forward to in the future as motivation.