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Why is self-expression so important? It is what every generation has been fighting for, whether it’s a conscious effort or a slow current we are drifting towards. Without the ability to communicate with our words or actions we stop evolving as a society. So why do people continue to suppress their emotions? Feelings are our body’s way of communicating what is going on. We suppress, avoid, and distract ourselves from emotions at all costs. Yet, we are shocked when we feel numb; The absence of feeling anything and in my opinion is the scariest emotion of all.
3 Ways to Feel Better
- Acknowledge the emotion you are experiencing. The hardest part is finding the words to describe something that is invisible but is felt so intensely. Explore the emotion wheel below. You can be as general or specific as you want. The important thing is the effort of trying, not being perfect.
- Share this emotion with a person you trust. Practice communicating with I statements, “I feel _______ because of ________.”
- Identify what you want to do next. Are you enjoying this feeling? Is it enough to acknowledge and proceed with life? Are you wanting this emotion to go away? Typically as humans, we welcome “positive emotions” ex. joy, excitement, passion, and relief. We push away grief, loneliness, anger, and suffering. Is avoiding our feelings really fixing the problem? Acknowledging an emotion is different from cementing it as a permanent state of being. Asking for help could be the next step to feeling better.
