3 Deadly Consequences of Ignoring Your Feelings

Have you noticed how often we don’t pay attention to how we really feel?

How do we dismiss our feelings as not important or valid (or at least not as important or valid as other people’s feelings)?

We have a whole range of our favourite ways to distract ourselves.

Like, ‘I’m just too busy right now, I’ll think about it later’ (which of course, ever happens!)

Or, we try to talk ourselves out of them — our mind has always plenty of reasons why we shouldn’t feel the way we do.

And unfortunately, very often we simply feel guilty for feeling a certain way, and as guilt is a very uncomfortable feeling we try to distract ourselves with whatever we can (chocolate and wine work really well:)

The might seem like an easier (and much more comfortable) choice in the moment but long term we pay a huge price for these seemingly small choices:

1. EMOTIONAL OVERWHELM. At some point it just gets too much for your system to contain. Your feelings become so intense that you no longer can ignore the,. Anxiety, that does not let you sleep at night. Sadness makes it difficult for you to focus on your work or even get out of bed. Anger that makes you yell at people you love most (at strangers sometimes, too :)

2. PHYSICAL HEALTH. It’s science nowadays how suppressing your emotions leads to developing serious health conditions. Just look at all of your hormone-related symptoms :)

3. And the one we seldom think about. It feels subtle and not as life-threatening as two previous ones. But for me, it’s the biggest, most destructive and detrimental consequence, that deeply impacts on our happiness, vitality, joy of life and our relationships.

DISCONNECTION.

If we don’t listen to ourselves, if we don’t give ourselves the right to feel how we feel, if we notoriously keep ignoring what our heart is telling us, we lose the connection with ourselves.

And then … life becomes very confusing. We still go through the motions, right?

But it’s more like life happens to us, than us fully living it.

It’s so difficult to make decisions, even simple, everyday ones.

It’s so difficult to create healthy relationships.

To stand up for ourselves when we need to.

To enjoy small things and to trust in good things to come.

And this vague EMPTINESS inside that we desperately try to fill in with food, alcohol, shopping, social media (add your own…) To no avail of course.

There is an easy solution!

It requires a bit of commitment and practice, but it is simple!

Just start to pay attention to what is really going on with you. Acknowledge and validate your experience. Give yourself permission to feel just the way you feel.

And however cliche it might sound to you — learn how to love yourself!

There are powerful and easy to implement tools that you can use.

Download my free THRIVING THROUGH TOUGH TIMES CREATIVE WORKSHEET with 6 powerful practices that will start you on the way and help you rebuild your connection with yourself within days!

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