Expressing our Emotions
Do you feel you can truly speak your mind in your relationships? Are you sometimes walking on eggshells? I know I did for years, and sometimes I still catch myself suppressing my feelings. I used to close my mouth to keep the peace, not rock the boat, and be calm.
I used to hide from the world when I was sad, depressed, and angry. I was taught only to show my smiles and happiness even when I was not feeling it. Even when I met people, a fake smile would appear because it was not polite to be truthful. My face always gave it away though I skirted the topic when people probed deeper. My initial distrust surfaced. Why do you want to know? Do you really care? What will you do with my deepest emotions? Honestly, even with my closest friends, I did not consistently share my deep feelings.
Emotional Regulation
This is called emotional regulation. It is considered healthy to acknowledge your feelings and choose to express them in appropriate situations. I have a problem with this: we tend to suppress emotions and not fully feel them due to these emotional regulating patterns. This emotional suppression surfaces in our body in the form of tension in our shoulders, a tightness in our chest, or overwhelming fears. It can also be triggered by seemingly mundane situations, like my son spilling water on the floor could evoke a tirade. If I had expressed my emotions immediately or…
