Emotions: Suppress or Embrace?
by: Faerie Moon
Emotions are a gift given to every human at birth from our Creator. They are designed to help us express our needs and desires in a healthful manner. In this era, however, we have been taught that it is socially unacceptable to express certain emotions in public. This is unfortunate because sometimes an incident happens in public that should be taken care of immediately. Since we have been trained that it is not “good form” to make a scene (which can happen when emotions are expressed), we tamp down those emotions, stuff them away, dissociate ourselves from them, etc.
Fear, anger, grief, sadness, jealousy, and emotional pain are some of the emotions that we are not encouraged to show. Sometimes, even in a family setting, we are told not to “be a baby,” “suck it up,” “quit whining,” and so on. What can we do with these unexpressed emotions?
All of us are aware of the potential damage that we can do to ourselves by holding emotions in. Depression is becoming a national epidemic! Road rage is an offshoot of unexpressed anger, possibly from a work environment. Family violence continues to escalate. Is emotional stress a factor?
Conventional methods of dealing with emotions include exercising, talking, drinking, holistic healing, isolating ourselves, over-spending, becoming a workaholic, over-eating, and so on. While some of these methods are not good choices, all are “socially acceptable.”
Do these methods really take care of our emotional needs? If yes, then why are there still so many unhappy people? If no, then what other choices do we have?
What if, instead of suppressing an emotion or acting it out, you embraced the feeling? Be appreciative of it. When you are aware of an emotion developing that you would normally bottle up, fully feel that emotion. Let it come to the surface; give it all of your attention for about 10 seconds. Don’t react to it, simply feel it. Breathe deeply. Do not determine whether your emotion is good or bad, right or wrong. Just let it be. A lighter feeling will come over you. Grace and love will fill the void. By accepting the emotion as it is, you have acknowledged the gift from your Creator.
Awareness and practice make it easier to recognize signs of emotional upheavals. By focusing on the emotions themselves instead of our usual automatic responses, we can utilize our emotions to regain emotional stability and good mental health.
An excellent program to assist you in handling emotions effectively is the Sedona Method. To find out more about it, follow this link: Free Yourself from Emotional Trauma – Gain Emotional Wellness and Intelligence
Be well!
Fae Moon
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