500 Words on Why We Should Embrace Our Emotions, Not Exclude Them

First things first. You are 100% allowed to feel whatever you want to feel. According to Psych Central, "Although society tries to sell us the idea that we can control our internal experiences the same way we do objects in the external world, the truth is that we actually can’t. We can’t control our thoughts, feelings, and sensations, the way we can control objects in the world. In fact, the more we try to control or change our internal experiences the more out of control we feel. The more we try to get rid of distressing thoughts and feelings the stronger they become."

"I should feel guilty, but instead I feel relieved."

"I know I shouldn't let something like this bother me, but it does."

Raise your hand if you have ever been victimized by your emotions? Emotions are tricky.  Sometimes it's difficult to embrace or even trust your feelings, it can be easier to simply ignore them.

Regardless of your emotional spectrum, we all have them, and I think it's time we talk about them.

Emotions are your instincts way of communicating with you. It's like that gut feeling your mamma always told you to listen to, but here's the difference. You can't control that gut feeling. Sure you can decide to follow that gut feeling, but it's going to push past any emotions to make sure you know that gut feeling is there and has something to say.

Emotions are slightly more subdued. This is because, in society, we are told to keep our emotions in check. If men cry, they're deemed weak if women show anger they come off as a bitch. Society has shaped our emotions making us as humans feel we are in the wrong for feeling what we feel.

When we stop and think about it, it is CRAZY the lengths we go to in order to avoid feeling our feelings. And at what cost?! There are no wrong feelings. To try and force one's feelings to be other than what they are is absurd, even dishonest.

I've been seeing a lot of posts during this quarantine time where half of us are out there trying to take this time and find something creative with it and the other half is feeling really anxious about what the next day brings. Both of these reactions are 100% okay. We all handle situations differently and we need to recognize the feelings of this situation, and those situations to come to give us.

Embrace All of Your Emotions

1. Remind yourself that this feeling is NOT a problem.

2. Open the door to your emotions and let it wash over you.

3. Get Curious. How does the feeling feel inside your body?

4. Be unwavering in compassion toward yourself.

Take a second and let your body feel what it wants to feel. There’s a reason your body has emotions like happy, guilty, sad, or confused. Take all of your emotions at face value and let your body feel what it’s feeling. It is okay to take a day off from your life, or it is okay to level it up. You feel what you feel and take advantage of those feelings when you recognize them.

If you're happy and you can't explain it, relish in that. That is your moment.

If you're so frustrated you need to take a walk, do so, and really take in what angers you.

If you are surprised, revel in your gift because we get so few surprises in life.

Exploring the deep parts of your limbic system (where main feelings come from) is a great mental health practice and will get you more familiar with who you are as an individual. Understand when you feel joy, fear, sadness, or absolute bliss.