My body remembers being shot with a bolt of lightning at yet another client request. Another error uncovered. Another “quick turnaround” with little context. With probably any client in probably any industry, there is plenty of room for misunderstanding. And sometimes when it rains, it pours. Or at least it can feel that way.

In most cases, once I waded through the issue and clarified the details, my head understood the coast was clear, that it wasn’t a big deal, that everything was actually ok. My body, however, was still lit up with electricity. (Hypersensitive people will especially know this sensation.) Despite the facts my head already understood, my body sent signals that things were not ok, that we were in danger, that this had to stop at all costs. That’s when my head gave way to resentment, imaginary arguments, and demands for a raise. Giving all the way into it meant quitting on the spot. String a few of these episodes together over a short time, and I’m suddenly cleaning up my resume and cost projecting the feasibility of van-dwelling.

I used to accept the bodily feeling as fact. I feel it in my gut, my heart, radiating through my limbs if it’s potent enough. Feelings are powerful. And beautiful. But I now know that feelings aren’t necessarily facts. When I’m sensitive to drama and feel intense discomfort, my head translates these distress signals into thoughts that I’ve done something wrong and the world is crashing down, but that doesn’t mean those thoughts are reality. My body – and my feelings – want to protect me, and I’m grateful for that.

So I learned to be patient while my body catches up with the facts my head already knows.

I know I can’t ignore my feelings either. I need to honor them. Sometimes they’re telling me exactly what I need to know, even if the facts my head knows are telling me otherwise. Anyone can recall a time when things looked good on paper, but it still just didn’t sit right with them. That’s their head saying things are cool, while their gut or heart has a different read on the same situation.

So where’s the answer? A combination of head and body brains is probably the best guide. If you’re faced with a situation that sends electricity through your body, make sure to let your head evaluate its version of the facts. Honor the feeling you’re having and trust that your body will get the message soon. These brains working in harmony allows us to be cool when the drama goes down and not rush into impulsivity. It takes time to touch base with these brains and hear what they’re telling us, but spend a moment doing it and your next dramatic work event might not bruise your ego quite so bad, might not weigh you down over the weekend, might not make you want to quit on the spot, might not be dramatic at all.

This is a form of self-coaching anyone can do (and you might already do without knowing it). Like any skill, it gets better with practice, and like any practice, it gets better with guidance from someone who’s been practicing it for a while. A skilled life coach is an excellent resource for helping you see the same situation through a different lens – one that’s productive for you. If this sounds interesting, go ahead and schedule a free consultation so we can discuss what this looks like for you. Otherwise, keep learning about coaching on my site.

Go get ‘em this week.