Have you ever caught yourself in a situation where you wanted to say something, but you stopped yourself? Perhaps you knew in that moment when emotions were elevated, that you may have said something you would have later regretted? Have you ever stewed over a particular conversation you had with a friend or partner but never actually voiced your opinion? Well, we are here to tell you to stop. Though your feelings may not align with those of your friends or loved ones, you’ll likely feel worse if you choose to say nothing at all.
A Psychology Today blog post discusses the negative impact of repressed anger. It says that people who internalize anger hold it in their bodies and minds, which can cause anxiety, depression, and even physical pain.
Not only do we struggle emotionally when we hold back our thoughts. but repressing our feelings can also have long-term effects on our psyches and our physical well being. That’s nothing to sneeze at. The real work is knowing whether or not we have repressed emotions. Sometimes we are so good at repressing our emotions, we may not even be aware of our responses to discomfort. An article from Healthline claims that repressed emotions can affect your emotional responses to others, and your emotions may bottle up until they explode. You may have difficulty talking about things that matter to you, building deep, relationships, and feeling empathy for others.
Once we find out that we’re repressing our emotions, what do we do to process them and rid ourselves of the toxicity of holding them in? An article from PsyCom suggests that we try to change negative self-talk into positive self-talk, stay mindful of what’s happening in the present, and show gratitude for small things that make our lives happier.
We all deserve to be emotionally free from the chains of previous conversations and prior relationships. e We have all experienced moments when we either said something hurtful or someone told us something that deeply hurt us, but this doesn’t mean that we need to carry these emotional burdens forever.
How do you cope with repressed feelings? Share your tips in the comments below!
Photo by ayush kumar on Unsplash
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