Feelings refer to our emotional or physical experiences; our perception of events within our bodies in response to our environments. Feelings can be positive, negative, or neutral. Naturally, uncomfortable feelings tend to be avoided, as we typically dislike them! However, feeling the full range of our feelings is very important for emotional processing and healthy functioning. When we ignore or supress our feelings, they generally come up in an unhelpful way (e.g., a blow up or a break down). Here are some ways to lean into, and feel, our feelings:
- Notice the physical sensations in your body (e.g., heart rate, breathing, muscle tension). These sensations are often the biggest indicators of feelings.
- Try to name the feeling you are experiencing. Labelling our emotions naturally helps decrease the intensity of them (use the feelings wheel to help with this!)
- Observe feelings without judgment or trying to push them away
- Develop curiosity towards feelings; what could they be trying to tell you?
- Remind yourself that negative feelings will PASS; and the sooner that we allow ourselves to experience them the sooner this will happen
- Journal, free write, or do a brain dump of your thoughts on to paper
- Identity your need, based on your feeling, and take one small step to give that to yourself.
If you could benefit from learning more about feelings and how to cope with them, book an appointment with us today!