From traumatic episodes, moments of humiliation to the usual dose of pain and tears, all of us have experienced these emotions in varying amounts. These uncomfortable feelings are a part of our lives, yet many of us struggle to process them effectively.
Unfortunately, ignoring these feelings can have a negative effect on your mental health and lead to stress, anxiety and dissatisfaction with life. However, by learning to acknowledge, understand and embrace our emotions, we can cultivate self-awareness and emotional wellbeing. So join us as we explore some healthy coping mechanisms that can help you feel the feels in a healthy way.
Many of us often try to suppress our emotions. For instance, when we are angry or frustrated, we force ourselves to bury those feelings. Or when we experience the loss of a dear one or go through a breakup, we pretend like everything is okay and carry on with our work. But that is not healthy in the long run. It is always easy to dismiss bad feelings, but doing so only makes it worse.
The first step in coping with these uncomfortable emotions is to accept them. By acknowledging our emotions, we make way for healing.
Once you’ve accepted your current emotion, the next coping skill is to identify and label it. Naming your emotions can help you gain a better understanding of what you’re feeling and why. For example, instead of saying that you are simply feeling bad, try to deliberate and understand what exactly it is that you feel—doing so may make you realise that you’re feeling anxious or disappointed. This recognition can then help you address the root cause of your emotions more effectively.
Most of us want to control every aspect of our lives, including our emotions. We feel at odds with ourselves if we relinquish control. However, trying to micromanage our feelings all the time can be exhausting. Control is mostly an illusion and ineffective in most cases. So, rather than fighting with your emotions, try accepting or surrendering to them. Adopting this approach can lead to a sense of inner peace and liberation and even allow you to navigate life’s ups and downs with ease.
Acknowledging uncomfortable emotions is essential because it validates our experiences and creates a space for healing.
Dwelling on negative feelings can lead to a cycle of negative thinking and impact our overall mental wellbeing.
Suppressing painful emotions is not advisable as it can make things worse. Accepting and processing emotions is a healthy approach.
To let go of our need to control our emotions, we must practice acceptance and surrender. We must allow our emotions to flow without judgment. In addition, mindfulness meditation can help us relinquish our control on our emotions.
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