Denying Emotions

I know it’s hard to believe but we humans can have emotions that we don’t feel. Our emotional pain and even our joys can be hidden somewhere inside of our minds. It’s a natural defense that helps us get through childhood. Perhaps it helps us stay relatively sane until we have the maturity to face and feel them. One goal of therapy is to bring out those emotions linked to past conflict and allow ourselves to feel them. In doing so we free ourselves from the self defeating patterns unacknowledged emotions can create. In your every day life it’s a good thing to allow yourself to feel. This can be a private experience. Slow down and let yourself acknowledge what you feel. If you’re sad, be sad. If you’re angry, be angry. If you feel shamed, feel the shame. If you are afraid, feel your fear. You may not need to express your feels to anyone other than yourself. Acknowledging and experiencing your feelings allows you to move forward toward peace of mind and joy.