2. Learn to feel your feelings (instead of thinking about them).
Some people are good at tuning into their bodily sensations and feelings. They notice the tension in their necks or upper backs. They're aware that clenching their teeth tightly means they're angry or frustrated. They're adept at using this information to acknowledge their emotional responses to situations and to process what they feel. Emotions don't build to the boiling point or get stuck in place.
Others, particularly those who are bright, are trained to think about their feelings instead of feeling them. On some level, the "thinkers" believe that being in touch with their emotions -- especially the "negative" ones -- is dangerous. They're afraid that they'd sink into an emotional quicksand and never recover. But it's the feelings that you ignore, that you fail to attend to and learn from, that are problematic. If you can tune into your bodily sensations, identify the feeling underneath, and just sit with the feeling -- sadness, anger, sadness, loneliness -- without trying to make it go away, you'll find the intensity lessens. The more you practice, the easier it gets.