As humans, we are made to have emotions no matter how unfeeling some people may be. It’s just that we handle our emotions differently. Some humans tend to hide what they feel while some are very expressive of their emotions. And sometimes you are just born that way.
You can be an emotional person or equally an emotionally unavailable person. You can be the repressor or suppressor of emotion. Sadly, although you may not notice, are willing to accept, or oppositely, too willing to accept that you may also be “the victim.” These are just a few common ways people generally deal with their emotions as much as they may (or not be) working on unpacking all that and healing the emotions they become aware of.
Whether you are born that way or it is a product of various experiences, it’s important to know so at the least you are ready to face and deal with those emotions so you know how to climb the mountains of adversity and be at your happiest, or at least endure no matter what is going on around you.
Each day we may individually deal with a huge range of emotions and it’s impossible for us to be aware, feel, unpack, accept, and heal each and every one of those emotions immediately. It’s part of human nature too, but how we choose to deal with them, and when to deal with them is something we can do.
How do you deal with your emotions (if you do at all)?
Are you emotionally sensitive, perhaps empathetic?
Do you find yourself always crying or over the top happy? Are you always thinking about what others feel and finding yourself having difficulties controlling your emotions? Then you can be an emotional person. Yes, you have a high level of sensitivity and are often easily affected by your surroundings, situations, and other people’s emotions.
And because of that criticism can be hard to bear. Adversities are hard to deal with. Relationship issues are more so heartbreaking. You can find it hard to control your emotions and may end up saying things you may later regret. There might be a lot of crying.
And when you’re happy, you’re ecstatic! When you’re mad, you’re fuming. When you’re stressed, you’re freaking out and full-on spiraling! You feel like your emotions are always so strong, compared to everyone else.
You can end up even being ashamed of being emotional. You often feel intense sadness or happiness, which can be quite exhausting if you feel it all the time. Emotional persons being compassionate tend to have great manners. You are that one person who says “Thank you,” or asks “How are you?”
Having great manners and keeping other people in your mind isn’t a bad thing at all, but you do have to remember that you can’t always please everyone. Some people are going to be upset, not care that you care, or whatnot – you just have to try and not let it bother you, again which can be extra hard for you. But over time, it will feel more natural.
Highly sensitive emotional people (empaths) are more likely to feel overwhelmed, anxious, or even depressed. Feeling emotions more than others is really both a blessing and a curse. But if you can learn to live happily with it then it will be okay.
Do you tend to shut off emotions or tend to be emotionally unavailable?
Although there isn’t just one reason for emotional inaccessibility, there are several things that can contribute to it. They include childhood attachment style, relationship history, trauma, mental health issues, as well as one’s surroundings and priorities.
Sometimes being emotionally unavailable is involuntary due to an underlying psychological condition. If you use your emotional inaccessibility strategically, for example, to establish boundaries with particular individuals or social groups, it can be beneficial. You may keep a healthy distance from individuals who constantly demand your emotional attention by setting boundaries.
Yet when you can’t control it, emotional detachment can also be damaging. Emotional blunting, often described as feeling “numbed”, is a problem that you should normally consider working with a mental health professional to resolve.
Are you the type of person who represses your emotions?
People say how cool and carefree you are but they just don’t know really. You may seem stoic or detached on the surface, but there is an internal turmoil brewing beneath the surface. You are struggling to express yourself, often suppressing your feelings and thoughts for fear of vulnerability or rejection.
Day by day you are faced with the possibility of situations that may trigger unwanted emotions, but instead of expressing them, you bottle them up inside. You may feel overwhelmed or anxious in social situations but put on a façade of calmness and detachment, which can be exhausting.
You feel a sense of emptiness or loneliness because of your inability to connect deeply with others. Not because you don’t want to but because you may be afraid. You feel isolated or misunderstood, which can lead to a downward spiral of negative thoughts and feelings.
Physical symptoms like tension headaches or stomach problems can start to surface because of all the emotions bottled up inside.
Do you tend to be an emotional ball of fury?
And there are people who need to vent verbally, go on a verbal rampage even, or physically throw things. Is that something you can relate to? It can be seriously terrifying to be around individuals who blow up and react physically. We’re not talking about domestic abuse here (that’s NEVER okay), however, there are people who get so angry that they need to break things, punch a wall, and rage. Bottling up emotions to the point where you could physically harm yourself or others in the process is a sign that you could really do with exploring other healthier coping mechanisms. Perhaps it’s time to consider other options or even professional help.
It may be hard to see (and admit) but do you play “the victim”?
Have you ever played victim or is that your go-to mode when you find yourself in a challenge? If you have, you’d know the feeling really well. This one might be a tough one to hear for people who feel like they’re the victim, leaving little emotional room for the actual victims. So maybe keep on reading to see if you identify with the next few paragraphs at all.
Do you always feel or act helpless? Like you are always in distress and there is nothing you can do about it. The feeling of being powerless, and at the mercy of others makes you feel always in despair.
Maybe you blame others for their problems or shortcomings and feel overwhelmed by challenges and difficulties. You don’t feel like you have to take responsibility for your actions and decisions because you are a product of your situation. Or maybe you’re not realizing or accepting your involvement with the problem either.
You may be unaware of your actions but you are hearing them from other people. Your self-esteem is taking a blow. You feel misunderstood when you feel like the world is crushing all around you because bad luck always follows you.
Maybe you don’t want to take advice as you can rise from the ashes and you prefer things the way they are. It might be nice to have a little extra attention too. Maybe you know the solution and what you clearly want but you’re too proud to say it so you drive a conversation with someone you know who could be the one to suggest the solution or outcome you’re secretly hoping for.
It’s easy for you to be mad at others and even at the world. You back down from taking risks or trying new things out of fear of failure or rejection. Having that type of victim emotion can be challenging and lonely. It can affect your personal relationships and professional success. But you can learn to change your thought patterns and develop a more positive outlook on life.
Taking your time to process emotions…
Some people need a lot more time to process emotions from certain experiences. They may find themselves thinking about it a lot and sometimes feeling numb or neutral towards them. While they are processing and trying not to jump to conclusions, sometimes they may be accidentally repressing emotions through this process, so double-check with yourself if that is something that might actually be happening to you too.
Mindfully processing your emotions
Have you been able to handle your emotions mindfully in real-time? If so, that’s pretty brilliant of you! And you should keep on going because being able to process emotions like so is only going to help you. It will continue to help you grow a greater level of self-awareness, continue to be able to practice mindfulness more organically (and in real-time which is major), have or develop a better, healthier emotional response, serve as an opportunity for self-development, and experience true healing.
How Reiki can help us manage our emotions
Emotions can be managed but some have a better ability to do it, and you don’t need to feel ashamed of the way you feel things. But when you start to feel overwhelmed and sad, know that you can seek help.
One method you can approach is Reiki which can help resolve emotional distress by allowing healing energy to flow freely throughout the body. You can feel more relaxed with pain and tension released throughout the body.
In summary, emotional repression can cause a daily struggle for individuals, creating a cycle of suppression, negative thoughts, and physical symptoms. The key to overcoming emotional repression is to find healthy ways to express emotions, such as Reiki, emotional healing, and release with Intuitive Energy Healing, talk therapy, meditation, and or journaling.
