Everybody has experienced times when they are overcome by strong emotions, but instead of expressing them, they are repressed and pushed to the back of their brains. Although it may feel safer to keep our feelings to ourselves, this isn't always the best course of action. Although suppressing your emotions may appear to be a sign of strength or a desire to avoid conflict, it can eventually cause much more serious issues. Think of the occasions when you were happy despite your unhappiness, only to cry when someone said something careless. Or when you've suppressed your annoyance just to lose it over a small annoyance.
Repressing our feelings keeps us from talking about what we need, which can become a recurring problem, and keeps us from genuinely relating to other people. It eventually backfires, frequently in unanticipated ways, and can do significant harm to one's bodily and mental well-being.
Keeping your emotions in check and suppressing them are two very different things. Emotional control is essential for social interaction and overall well-being, but suppressing your emotions or failing to fully process them might cause issues that suddenly surface. When expressing our emotions honestly doesn't feel safe or acceptable, we often keep it to ourselves. Regretfully, it can negatively impact our relationships, damage our mental health, and jeopardize our physical health. Fortunately, there are strategies to improve your ability to let it out. Start simple and concentrate on discussing the positive aspects of life before looking into techniques to communicate more challenging feelings like disappointment and rage. The secret is to develop healthy and constructive coping mechanisms for your emotions.
We feel obligated to repress our emotions in a lot of situations. To make a relationship "work," we can, for instance, try to hide our sentiments, tell ourselves we'll confront the feeling later, or simply want to get through the day. However, there is a fundamental reason why we often suppress our emotions: it appears to be safer and simpler to do so.
How to Handle Emotional Outbursts and Why It's Frequently Ineffective to Keep Our Feelings to Ourself.
Although suppressing our emotions may seem like a smart idea in the moment, doing so might have the following negative effects on us:
STRESSES OUR MENTAL HEALTH:
Disregarding our own emotions on a regular basis can eventually affect our confidence. We can eventually come to believe that no one is interested in our wants or needs and that our voice and opinions are unimportant. Additionally, it can make us feel worried, depressed, or stressed. Even when such emotions aren't communicated, they nonetheless fester and intensify. In certain situations, we could even experience intense anger or fury and grow resentful of other people.
ENDANGERS OUR PHYSICAL HEALTH:
Research suggests that suppressing your emotions can cause physical stress on your body. The body's stress levels can raise the risk of heart disease and diabetes. Memory problems may be further complications. Emotional repression can lead to a form of ongoing stress. Long-term exposure to this kind of stress can have serious negative health impacts on your body and mind, including cardiovascular disease, gastrointestinal issues, decreased immunity, and muscle soreness.One
BOOSTS OUR SOCIAL CONNECTIONS:
Having healthy social connections is essential to our general wellbeing. After all, our fundamental nature is social. Meaningful relationship growth is impossible when we don't express ourselves well enough. Human-to-human contact can allow for a wider viewpoint and assist in balancing our nervous system, preventing us from slipping into incorrect ideas and fearful patterns. Above all, how will you ever be recognized and seen if you are not forthright and honest? Furthermore, how can you ever feel loved for who you really are if you are unknown?
Emotionally repressed people are more inclined to shun intimate connections, according to research. Additionally, they are less content with their lives and more prone to depressive symptoms. Although we may intentionally suppress our emotions occasionally, we frequently do so unconsciously.
The following are some indicators that you're not fully expressing your emotions: It appears that others don't "get you." Spending time with other people does not yield the desired results. Somatic symptoms like stress, migraines, racing heart, and indigestion or digestive problems are common. Your dissatisfaction and rage toward the outside world and other people increase. You start to feel bitter about other people. If you believe someone else may be suppressing their feelings,
You can tell when someone is suppressing their feelings by their body language, tone, and word choice. Along with these unconscious behaviors, some people may shake their heads, wring their palms, tap the tips of their fingers or toes, dart their eyes, or fold their bodies inward. Expression of our feelings is not always easy. On the contrary, it requires practice and a commitment to self-respect. Our ability to process and communicate our emotions can be developed over time. Expressing oneself simply is one of the finest methods to improve your communication skills.
ABILITY TO CONTROL EMOTIONS.
Improving your ability to control your emotions may assist you become more adept at handling and communicating your emotions.
You can also use the following techniques to better connect with your feelings and communicate them: In order to be mindful, you must pay attention to your feelings without passing judgment.
Cognitive reframing is a method that entails altering your perspective on the matter. Acceptance is the ability to acknowledge your feelings without attempting to suppress or reject them.
Healthy coping mechanisms: Exercise, journaling, chatting to a friend, or hearing music are some healthy ways to deal with your emotions instead of burying them or reacting in negative ways.
We frequently have a deeply rooted habit of hiding our feelings, which we have formed over time. It takes true effort to end the cycle and start communicating with others. Even if doing so could be challenging, risky, or uncomfortable, the benefits outweigh the difficulties.
Please do not hesitate to seek the help of a mental health professional if you are having difficulty processing and managing your feelings. They can teach you appropriate coping mechanisms, improve your understanding of your emotions, and practice communicating about your feelings in a healthy way.