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By Nicholette Leanza, LPCC-S
We cannot selectively numb emotions, when we numb the painful emotions, we also numb the positive emotions. – Brené Brown
Emotions help color our lives. Ones that we may consider positive, like happiness and excitement, can feel great. But the ones that we deem uncomfortable, like sadness and anxiety, can be the ones we desperately want to avoid.
Some examples of how we avoid emotions include mindlessly scrolling on our phone when we may be stressed about something or using alcohol as a way to numb our hurt feelings after a breakup. Ironically, we never actually escape our emotions because squelching them doesn’t actually make them stop. They still simmer inside you causing more pain.
Research tells us that suppressing our emotions can actually harm our mental health and wellbeing so it’s important to allow your feelings to come through and feel them. How do you truly feel your emotions? Here are some tips:
