As humans, we are born to express emotions freely and openly. So, despite how “emotionally unavailable” someone is, he or she still has emotions. It’s all a matter of how we express it, and whether we choose to express it or not.
The thing with suppressing emotions is that it’s toxic for the overall body. There are different reasons some individuals choose not to express how they feel—some because they are negative emotions, some because they want to fit in, while others to earn love.
At some point, we bury emotions that we don’t deal with. We can go about our lives, unconscious about these emotions, thinking that they don’t bother us until something significant happens in our lives then we realize that those emotions have been there all along—trying to get out. It’s in these moments when it can open up old wounds, which will make the house of cards fall apart.
Typically, these emotions that we bury deep are fear, shame or anger. When we experience situations that emotionally overwhelm us, we are unable to process what it happening, accept the emotions, and express them through the body and mind. Instead, we hide them deep inside and we end up hiding them from ourselves, too. However, they will always be there.
These unresolved emotions get trapped in the body where they fester, which then leads to draining our energy, emotional imbalance, and we could even get physically sick.
Here, I will share some tips that can help you process the trapped emotions and energy blocks in the body:
1.Recognize & Feel Them
It’s challenging, but it needs to be done. You need to recognize the emotion and feel it in your body. This is where you will use the power of mindfulness to notice what is happening in the body, accept it, and feel it fully, with no judgment at all.
According to Buddhist teachings, human suffering is caused by aversion and resistance to what is happening. Therefore, acceptance is liberating.
To heal these trapped emotions, you need to feel them. You need to experience the emotion to process and integrate it into your experience.
I would recommend you practice mindfulness to get better at recognizing your feelings and observing bodily sensations connected to those feelings. Check out our tips here.
2. Get Moving
Getting your body moving may be one of the things you won’t consider to release negative emotions, but they work. It doesn’t have to be a workout routine, just get moving.
Moving creates motion that helps release energetic blocks from the body. You can also use this at times when you find it challenging to connect with your emotions.
For example, when you get upset with someone, instead of getting into an argument, get your body moving. Release the anger by walking around the block, or if you want to feel ten times better, do something that will make you sweat and release the pent-up energies in your body, like a sport that you enjoy doing.
3. Write It Down
I can’t stress enough the importance of journaling. However, I’ve met a lot of people who find it ridiculous to journal without trying it at first. To be honest, I was hesitant at first with journaling, because for me, I don’t see how writing my thoughts can help me. I was doubtful about its “powers” but I kept hearing it, so I gave it a shot. The first few days, I didn’t feel anything… until it became a part of my routine and that’s when I felt I feel lighter every time I dump my thoughts on paper.
Journaling is an old yet powerfully working technique. I suggest you write down anything on your mind for about 15 minutes. It’s natural to doubt its power at the start, but trust me, just do it. After a few minutes, you’ll get to the core of the limiting belief that you have, and from there, you can better address it.
Remember, these trapped emotions will stay there until you face them. It’s a long process, but it’s going to be worth it.
