Healthy Ways to Express Your Emotions

All too often we hold in our difficult emotions, which is really toxic for our mental and emotional health. When we suppress our emotions, sometimes it’s because we are afraid to handle them, sometimes because we don’t know how to express them. Sometimes we don’t feel the space is safe to share our pain and vulnerability. Sometimes we don’t have the tools to express ourselves. Sometimes it’s just scary, anxiety-inducing and painful, and we avoid it as much as possible. We use our drugs of choice, we distract ourselves, we bury our emotions under other issues.

When we don’t work to heal our emotions, they have a way of coming repeatedly. We develop all kinds of life cycle patterns- mental and emotional illnesses, addictions, financial struggles, relationship issues, and so on. When we look at our patterns, chances are we’ll find emotions we haven’t fully dealt with and fears we haven’t yet faced. The resulting problems will keep returning, to test us, to determine if we’ve learned the lessons we’re meant to learn. When we’re used to drowning our sorrows in ice cream or Netflix, or sex or alcohol, it can feel overwhelming and scary to face our emotions directly. Sometimes we don’t even know where to begin. Let’s go back to the basics.

Talk

Many of us have a very hard time with this one. Maybe the people you’ve confided in have hurt you and you’re afraid to get hurt again. Maybe you feel like you don’t have anyone to talk to. Maybe you find it hard to talk in general and avoid difficult subjects. Talking things out with someone else can be comforting and remind us we’re not alone. If we’re open to it, we might receive really helpful advice, guidance and wisdom. It can be in therapy, with friends or family, in a support group, or calling a help line- being able to open up and talk is an important step towards healing.

Cry

Our culture tells us it’s weak to cry, especially in public, and that it’s something we should be embarrassed by. We’re taught to hold in it. Crying helps release stuck emotions as well as toxins stored in our bodies. Often we feel the wave of emotion come and we hold it back instead of letting ourselves cry. This suppressing of our feelings can be so destructive for our mental and emotional health. Let it out!

Music

Music can help us express our emotions by allowing us to really feel them, right alongside the stories and pain of our favorite songs. Music can inspire us to be honest and vulnerable about our feelings and experiences. Music is powerfully transformative; whether you’re listening or creating, it’s such a gift.

Holistic healing means finding solutions to our mental and emotional challenges. Enlightened Solutions is here to help. Call (833) 801-LIVE.