Deborah M. Plummer

Overview

Big Feelings by Deborah M. Plummer is a powerful exploration of emotions and how to navigate them. Plummer, a psychologist, provides valuable insights and practical strategies for understanding and managing big feelings, empowering readers to develop emotional intelligence. The book's premise centers around the idea that emotions are a fundamental part of being human and should be acknowledged, embraced, and understood. By doing so, individuals can cultivate healthier relationships, reduce stress, and enhance overall well-being.

Key Points / Ideas

1. Emotions as Information: Plummer emphasizes that emotions are not just random feelings, but rather a meaningful communication from within. By recognizing and understanding these signals, individuals can gain valuable insights into their wants, needs, and values. Plummer cites various studies and psychological research to support the notion that emotions hold important information that can guide our actions and choices.

2. Emotional Awareness: The author highlights the importance of cultivating emotional awareness as a crucial aspect of emotional intelligence. Plummer provides practical exercises and techniques to help readers identify, name, and express their emotions effectively. The ability to differentiate between various emotions allows individuals to respond to them in a healthier and more constructive manner, fostering self-awareness and self-regulation.

3. Coping with Big Feelings: Plummer offers a range of coping strategies to help individuals navigate intense emotions in a constructive way. These strategies include deep breathing exercises, mindfulness techniques, journaling, and seeking support from loved ones. Plummer provides relatable examples and stories to demonstrate how these techniques can be applied in real-life situations, enabling readers to manage their emotions more effectively.

4. Cultivating Emotional Resilience: The author explores the concept of emotional resilience and how it can be developed. Plummer stresses the importance of embracing vulnerability and learning from setbacks, emphasizing that setbacks and difficult emotions are natural parts of life. By building resilience, individuals can bounce back from challenging experiences and develop the capacity to handle future emotional difficulties with greater ease.

Conclusion

Big Feelings by Deborah M. Plummer is an invaluable resource for anyone looking to better understand and navigate their emotions. Plummer's expertise as a psychologist shines through as she provides practical tools and strategies for managing big feelings. The book's emphasis on emotional awareness, coping strategies, and cultivating resilience offers a comprehensive guide to developing emotional intelligence. Readers will find themselves equipped with the knowledge and tools needed to improve relationships, reduce stress, and foster overall well-being. For those interested in further exploration of the topic, books such as 'Emotional Intelligence' by Daniel Goleman and 'The Gifts of Imperfection' by Brené Brown are highly recommended companions.