Are you aware of or ever heard the term emotional outsourcing? Well, It’s essentially about passing on emotional tasks to others or external factors instead of dealing with them on your own.
For this blog, I want to focus on using Apps, particularly those used for physical and mental health. You may think that you are just using an app and that it’s convenient, and yes it can be, but as I will highlight further in the post, we can sometimes use these external sources to provide some emotional validation, without realising it.
When we rely too heavily on outside influences, it can be challenging to regulate our emotions effectively. However, it’s crucial to recognise that depending solely on external sources for emotional support or reassurance when not required can create dependencies and hinder personal growth. Whilst negatively impact your ability to trust your intuition.
Several factors contribute to the prevalence of emotional outsourcing in our lives. In today’s fast-paced world, many of us feel overwhelmed by the demands of daily life, leaving little time and energy to address our emotional needs effectively.
Some people may feel they lack the necessary coping skills or support networks to manage our emotions or feelings independently. Emotional outsourcing involves delegating our emotional needs and support to external sources or individuals. In our personal lives, this might mean relying heavily on our partners or friends for emotional support and guidance
Similarly, in our professional lives, it could involve seeking emotional reassurance from colleagues or supervisors, even beyond the usual boundaries of work relationships.
In our modern world, it’s easy to find ourselves outsourcing our emotional needs or seeking reassurance elsewhere. When we are not in touch with ourselves enough. This includes not just to people but also to technology.
With so many Apps available across a range of for topics, that itself can be overwhelming too. Which one to use, should you pay, what benefit will you get etc.
Apps have become integral tools in our quest for self-improvement, whether it’s tracking our sleep, counting our steps, monitoring calorie intake, or even monitoring your menstrual cycles.
While these Apps do offer valuable insights into our habits and health patterns, it’s crucial not to let them become crutches for emotional support and collecting data that you don’t ever evaluate and use.
It’s not uncommon to hear people berating themselves for falling short of arbitrary targets, whether it’s hitting a certain number of steps or adhering to the “recommended” eight hours of sleep.
Firstly, I want to acknowledge that I’ve used these Apps myself.
My focus is generally to use Apps to gain further understanding that helps me progress. But I don’t rely on them long term.
So, examples for me, which may also be helpful for you, are MyFitnessPal, which I’ve used to log my food intake and exercise regimen. By tracking my meals, I gained clarity on my nutritional needs and made adjustments to ensure I was meeting my protein requirements, as that was my goal and is especially crucial for women over 40.
Similarly, I’ve used a Period Tracker app to gain insights into my menstrual cycle, helping me understand the fluctuations in my mood and emotions. Armed with this knowledge, I’ve been able to navigate through emotional upheavals with greater self-compassion and awareness and, most importantly, communicate my experiences effectively with others.
I will use the walk App to know how far I have walked on my regular walk or new walk, that helps me know that I have time to do the walk and that I’m doing it in the time and pace that is consistent.
However, I approach them with a mindset of temporary utility rather than long-term dependency. I typically engage with them over a span of 1-3 months, allowing myself enough time to gather meaningful insights and make informed adjustments. This short-term engagement empowers me with the knowledge needed to make lasting changes.
Now I am not suggesting that App for personal goals to track progress aren’t valuable and you shouldn’t use them. More that you recognise, when you are outsourcing your emotions and seeking reassurance. Is it more a habit or do you use them for valuable personal growth?
The key takeaway here is not to become reliant on these apps as crutches for emotional support or reassurance. Instead, view them as tools for gaining valuable insights into your life and well-being. By using them judiciously and temporarily, we can cultivate a deeper understanding of ourselves, make informed choices, and effect positive, lasting changes in our lives. Ultimately, the goal is to listen to our inner voice and trust our intuition above all else.
My main wish, if you resonate with this, is that you take the time to tune into your body and mind. Take time to reflect and learn why it is that you are seeking validation elsewhere, or outside of you.
Our bodies are powerful, they will let you know how you are feeling.
Learn how to listen
Feel free to share your thoughts in the comments.
Keep elevating your life, learning about yourself, and, above all, STAY HAPPY
Subscribe today to join the ELEVATE Your Life Society receive practical wisdom and insights every week, covering business, career, happiness, health, finances, relationships, and more.
Plus, get your free ELEVATEpathway® Checklist, a step-by-step action list to help you on your journey to achieving your goals and desires.
The ELEVATEpathway®, is my 7-step transformative journey designed to help you reach your goals or make improvements to specifics areas and elevate your life.