Your Built-In GPS: How Feelings Guide Your Life and Well-Being

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Key Points:

1. Purpose of Feelings: Feelings are internal GPS systems that guide us through our lives and our environments, letting us know what is working and what is not in our goal to survive and thrive based on our needs.
2. Emotional Resilience: If we honor our feelings, we can be more resilient to life's roller coasters because we can have a relationship with our feelings as allies to our day, noting that our feelings alert us to the fact that something needs to be done or attended to.
3. Pleasure and Pain: Feelings let us know when we are in pleasure and in pain, ideally motivating us to keep moving towards pleasure and away from pain as a path to a content life.
4. Risk of Fallout: If we suppress our feelings, we may be at risk of depression, anxiety, and unhappiness, as we're missing out on our best path towards survival and thriving.
5. Tips and Tricks: I encourage others to remember their feelings throughout the day, checking in with themselves without judgment, practicing self-compassion and attending to feelings in an appropriate way, getting plenty of support, creating a safe internal environment, and practicing mindfulness throughout the day to stay aware. 

Understanding Your Emotions: A Guide to Feeling Your Feelings

In a world that prioritizes stoicism and emotional control, being open about our emotions can almost feel revolutionary. However, acknowledging our feelings, and honoring them, is one of the most powerful things we can do for our mental and emotional health. When we deny, dismiss, or minimize our feelings, they don't disappear: they stick around and become stronger. Let's talk more about the benefits of feeling our feelings, and share some examples that show how attending to our feelings can enhance our lives. 

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Why You Feel Feelings

As humans, we have feelings to help us navigate the world. They help us make sense of our work and personal environment, acting as a built-in navigation system, guiding us through our interactions and experiences. Emotions help us check in with ourselves: are we feeling connected, accepted, secure, or understood? Emotions provide us clues about what we need more or less of in our lives. Feelings also act as a type of alert. 
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They can help us to know how to respond to discomfort or distress in a productive way. For example, emotions can motivate us to stand up for ourselves or ask for help. If we pay attention to our emotions, we can use them as useful tools to make life easier and more enjoyable.

 Feeling Your Feelings as an Ally

Think of your feelings as a good friend who tells you what you need to know. Emotions are an alert system and attention to them offers us an opportunity to live our lives more actively. Feeling our feelings gives us the opportunity to see the world around us in a way suitable for growth and to push through when we are knocked down. Learning to cope with your emotions like they are purposeful allies, and not dangerous enemies, creates room for understanding and wellbeing. 

Feelings for Human Survival and Social Bonds:

Our feelings are key to our survival. They can help us create deeper, more meaningful connections with others. In becoming more aware of our emotions, we can build healthier relationships and create deeper connections. Emotions are also pivotal in our journey toward healing and growth. Through emotions, we are able to face and work through experiences, learn from them, and ultimately become more self-aware. ​

The Dangers of Emotional Suppression

When we suppress or ignore our emotions, we may experience a number of negative outcomes. At a physical level, unprocessed feelings can even lead to symptoms such as headaches, fatigue, or digestive issues. At an emotional level, suppressing our feelings can heighten feelings of stress, anxiety, and even depression. By pushing away uncomfortable feelings or emotions, we have labeled as “bad,” we miss the opportunity to learn from and respond to them. 

Practical Steps to Embrace Your Feelings:

1. Allow Your Emotions: Step one is to become more aware of what emotions you're experiencing. Notice what you're feeling and name it: "I feel angry," "I feel sad," or "I feel. . . ." There's no need to analyze further, just let yourself feel.
2. Have Self-Compassion: Honor your feelings as important and worthy of your attention. A range of emotions is perfectly healthy and it's okay to experience them all. Think about how you might show compassion to a friend, and show the same level of kindness and understanding toward yourself.
3. Express Your Feelings: Explore ways to express your emotions safely. This might be by talking to a friend who is a good listener, writing in a journal, or expressing emotions creatively through art, music, or movement. Try out different ways of expressing your feelings and aim to find a healthy outlet that feels natural to you.
4. Seek Support: If you find emotions difficult to manage, seek professional help from a psychotherapist. Therapy can be a safe and confidential space for processing complex or intense emotions and offers valuable support in developing diverse coping strategies.
5. Create a Supportive Space: Make sure that you have people around you who validate and support your emotions. Having a safe space where you can express and process your emotions will help you stay emotionally healthy.
6. Practice Mindfulness: Mindfulness methods including meditation and breathing exercises can help you stay present with your feelings and emotions. They help you to accept and observe your emotions without being overwhelmed by them.

Conclusion

Acknowledging our emotions and letting ourselves experience them is not a sign of weakness; it's an aspect of self-care. By accepting and experiencing our emotions, we can gain insight into our needs, strengthen our social bonds, and fulfill our personal development. Remember, your feelings can be your guides, pointing you towards living a more authentic and fulfilling life. So, allow yourselves to feel all of your emotions, learn from them, and use them for direction that is more informed and compassionate. ​