Catching Feelings Is a Sport—Time to Start Training

Imagine playing baseball but taking off your mitt every time the ball came your way, letting it drop at your feet—then wondering why your team never wins. Or picture a coach who never reviews what worked and what didn’t, yet expects the team to magically improve next time. You’d probably lose interest in the game pretty quickly.

In sports, we understand that winning requires catching the ball, knowing where to throw it, and reflecting on what can be improved. Yet in life, we often do the opposite. When an uncomfortable emotion arises, we react, push it away, and hope it never returns—only to repeat the cycle, expecting a different outcome.

Emotional awareness is a skill, just like learning a sport.

First, we must recognize what we’re experiencing, then explore why it’s happening. Over time, we gain insight into ourselves and develop strategies to cope. With practice, anxiety and discomfort become less overwhelming.

This is where "Catch It Curiously" comes in.

Next time you notice tension in your shoulders or difficulty concentrating, catch it—just observe what’s happening without judgment. Then, get curious by asking:

●       Where do I feel this emotion in my body?

●       If this feeling had a voice, what would it say?

●       Is there something in my environment triggering this response?

Practicing this habit can transform your relationship with emotions. Stay tuned for the next article, where I’ll explore how to assess and accept your emotions.

Monica Pitek-Fugedi is a therapist, speaker, and author specializing in anxiety and trauma. She founded Anxiety Anecdotes, an online resource offering courses, workbooks, and practical tools to make managing anxiety easier.

Want to go deeper into the strategies discussed in these articles? The CALMER Method Workbook is your step-by-step guide to understanding and applying each principle of the CALMER Method. Through guided exercises and real-life applications, it helps you turn insights into action so you can build lasting emotional resilience. You can find the CALMER workbook and other tools at www.anxietyanecdotes.com