Why you should express emotions without ruffling feathers

 

An angry woman talking on the phone. 

Our emotions can just be as unpredictable as our feelings because they are intertwined. One minute you are happy and all seems to be going well until a thought crosses your mind or action by someone causes an unexpected reaction.

Have you ever broken down in tears after your boss yelled at you or a delay at the supermarket caused you to become irrationally angry? You are not alone.

We have all had those mishaps. There are those moments you will find yourself unable to express yourself and those around you may bear the brunt of it.

And this is perhaps why you should never bottle up your emotions. Like a volcano that has lava trapped in and the pressure builds up, one day without warning it explodes. That is what happens with our emotions too.

If you do not find a healthy way to let them out, they will affect your interactions with people and even scare off those you love. No one wants to be around that crazy person who can lose their temper any minute.

But it is not always easy to be vulnerable and open up, especially if you did not grow up in a family that healthily expressed its emotions. Also finding constructive ways to do so is not that straightforward.

If you do not feel safe and accepted within your setting, there is no way you will be able to show that side of you. It is too risky to put your heart out there because you do not know what you will get in return.

You will need to be self-aware to identify your emotions and distinguish them from your thoughts to fully get to the bottom of this. Some feelings, for instance, anxiety and frustration can be disguised as anger.

When we are unable to pinpoint what exactly the emotions we feel are, we become overwhelmed. That is why you need to narrow them into basic emotions especially when you want to express them to someone.

Embarrassment can be used to describe feelings of awkwardness or when you are uncomfortable. Joy can be used when you are enjoying time with a loved one, taking a leisurely walk, or partaking in an activity you enjoy. You can start by expressing positive emotions by letting those you love know how you feel.

The negative ones may be more difficult to convey but work on being vulnerable and patient. You won’t always get it right, which is fine. Try and understand what triggers you and what stops you from showing your emotions.

And when you cannot speak let your body language do the talking. You can walk away from a bad situation instead of stirring up a fight or you can give your child a comforting pat on the back to remind him that you care and love him.