You Made It! Your Bonus Tools for Emotional Resilience
Congratulations on completing the “How to Feel Bad” email series! I’m so proud of the work you’ve done to get here.
This journey hasn’t been easy—it takes courage to lean into discomfort and explore the patterns holding you back. But you’ve shown up for yourself, and that’s something to celebrate.
As a thank-you for your commitment, I’m sharing a bonus set of tools to help you continue building emotional resilience and empower you to navigate life’s challenges with confidence.
Proactive and Reactive Tools: What’s the Difference?
Proactive Tools: Practices you build into your daily and weekly routines to strengthen emotional capacity over time. Think of these as your emotional “gym.”
Reactive Tools: Strategies you use in the moment when emotions feel overwhelming. These tools help you pause, regulate, and respond intentionally.
When used together, these tools create a holistic emotional toolkit, allowing you to thrive in any situation.
Proactive Tools: Build Resilience Daily and Weekly
Daily Practices (1-3 short tools)
Integrate small, manageable proactive tools into your daily routine. These practices don’t need to take more than 10-15 minutes, but their impact builds over time. Examples include:
- Physical: A 5-10 minute walk, stretching, or light exercise.
- Mindfulness: A brief meditation, yoga nidra, or 2 minutes of focused breathwork.
- Journaling: Write down your thoughts, emotions, or intentions for the day.
- Emotional Weather Map: Use this practice to reflect on your gratitude, emotional state, and anticipated challenges for the day.
Weekly Practices (One from Each Category)
For deeper growth, creating balance and nurturing all aspects of your well-being, select one practice from each of the following categories to include in your weekly routine:
- Physical: A longer workout, yoga class, or outdoor activity like hiking.
- Social: Spend intentional time connecting with loved ones, join a community group, or volunteer.
- Spiritual: Engage in prayer, attend a spiritual service, or reflect through gratitude journaling.
- Psychological: Schedule therapy, a coaching session, or spend time journaling to explore deeper emotions and patterns.
Reactive Tools: Regulate in the Moment
Reactive tools are designed to help you in the heat of the moment when emotions feel overwhelming. Here are some simple, effective techniques:
- Breathwork: Use the physiological sigh (two quick inhales through your nose, followed by a long exhale through your mouth) to calm your nervous system.
- Grounding Techniques: Anchor yourself in the present by noticing 5 things you see (4 you can touch, 3 you hear, 2 you smell, and 1 you taste).
- Physical Movement: Step outside, take a quick walk, or stretch to reset your body and mind.
- Journaling: Write down what you’re feeling to process your emotions.
- Reach Out: Call a trusted friend or mentor for support and perspective.
- Revisit Your Emotional Weather Map: Reflect on your plans, emotional state, and what you set out to “watch for” and “strive for.”
How to Build Your Personalized Plan
To make these tools work for you, it’s important to create a plan tailored to your life. Here’s how:
- Choose 1-3 Daily Practices: Select simple, short practices you can commit to.
- Pick Weekly Practices from Each Category: Choose one physical, social, spiritual, and psychological practice to incorporate weekly.
- Experiment with Reactive Tools: Try out different tools in the moment to see what works best for you.
- Write Down Your Plan: Keep your personalized plan somewhere visible, like your phone, so you can refer to it easily.
The Power of Small Steps
Building emotional resilience doesn’t require massive changes overnight. It’s the small, consistent steps you take each day and week that create long-term transformation.
By integrating proactive and reactive tools into your life, you’ll notice a shift in how you respond to discomfort, stress, and challenges. Over time, you’ll feel more grounded, confident, and aligned with your values.
What’s Next?
This bonus email marks the conclusion of the “How to Feel Bad” series, but your journey doesn’t stop here. Here are a few ways to keep growing:
- Download the Entire Series
I’ve created a PDF of all six emails, including this one, for you to revisit anytime.
- Stay Connected
Look out for future emails with additional insights, tools, and encouragement. And, follow me on Instagram–@ryan.soave–for regular tips and reflections.
- Take the Next Step
If you’re ready to dive deeper, I’d love to help you create a personalized plan tailored to your unique goals.
Best,
Ryan
Meet Ryan Soave
Ryan Soave, LMHC is a Licensed Mental Health Counselor and certified trauma therapist with over 15 years of experience in trauma and addiction recovery. His clinical work is informed by personal recovery, which led him to pursue a Master’s in Mental Health Counseling and dedicate his life to helping others heal.
As Chief Clinical Officer at Guardian Recovery Network, Ryan integrates evidence-based and experiential modalities including EMDR, Somatic Experiencing, yoga, breathwork, and meditation into transformative treatment programs. His holistic approach has impacted thousands of individuals on their path to lasting wellness.
A sought-after speaker, Ryan has led workshops and presented at national conferences and corporate institutions such as LinkedIn and Bank of America. His work resonates with individuals in crisis and high performers alike, offering a grounded path to clarity, resilience, and fulfillment.
Rooted in the belief that the past does not define the future, Ryan helps clients reconnect with their true selves and find meaning beyond survival. Outside of his professional life, he enjoys fly fishing, time in nature, and the love of his wife and children who continually remind him of life’s deeper lessons.