When we befriend our emotions, we create a headspace where it’s safe to feel rather than distract ourselves with thoughts or external stimuli. When you feel emotions without judgement, you can develop a healthy relationship with them and learn to understand and manage them. If you choose this approach, you can benefit from improved emotional well-being and a greater sense of inner balance. You can tune in to your needs, desires, and boundaries. Begin your journey to lasting happiness and contentment, and discover more than 10 reasons to befriend your emotions below.
Do You Find It Difficult To Spend Time Alone?
When you spend time alone, do you experience boredom, unease or anxiety and find yourself looking for distraction? Do you reach for the TV remote, get on Netflix, open the fridge, or scroll your phone for hours? Is it challenging for you to sit peacefully and do nothing?
If the answer is “Yes” you may have decided it’s unsafe to feel your emotions. Maybe you had an overwhelming emotional experience in childhood or later, and you may have, quite literally, cut your head off from your body. Or perhaps you’ve decided you’re uninteresting and need others to entertain you. Boredom may even be a sadness or disappointment feeling for you. Potentially, the idea of sitting with your own thoughts seems too intense.
Taking a step back and learning to observe your patterns can support is in making friends with your emotions. This, in turn, develops your self-awareness, and a deeper understanding of your thoughts, feelings, and behaviours. It’s worth the investment. By acknowledging and accepting your emotions, you gain valuable insights into your inner world, patterns, and triggers.
Benefit # 1 – Build Self-Awareness
This journey allows for personal growth, self-reflection, and the opportunity to make positive changes in your life.
Am I Feeling My Feelings?
How do you know if you’re thinking your feelings rather than feeling them? Simply, if you feel most of your emotions in your head or above the base of your neckline, you’re NOT feeling the real physical sensation of a feeling.
When I work with clients on emotional release and I ask them “where do you feel the feeling in your body?” if they say “my head”, I know it’s the idea of the feeling. It’s no wonder their head feels overwhelmed, and they can’t translate that energy into action!
What they’re actually experiencing is the idea of a feeling (or how that feeling should feel). Are you ready for the second MAJOR benefit of feeling real feelings?
Benefit # 2 – Release Emotions Fast
When you feel a REAL feeling, you notice in your body and once you acknowledge that sensation, it can flow away quickly. If it’s trapped in your head, it can stay there indefinitely.
Renovation Starts With A Strong Foundation
When we build a strong emotional foundation we balance the root of our energy and behaviour. A strong foundation promotes a sense of stability, security, and groundedness.
Do you experience fearfulness, anxiety, apprehension, nervousness, dread, panic, worry, phobia, paranoia, intimidation, suspicion, restlessness, or a startle response?
If the answer is “yes” you may have experienced TERROR in your younger years, most likely an event you don’t even remember. Perhaps you had to grow up too soon or adopted an adult role at a young age. Either way, you can release these feelings and create a strong foundation through insight, understanding, and a purposeful release of terror and fear in your emotional energy.
Achieving balance in our relationship with fear is a continuous process, and everyone’s journey is unique. It’s important to maintain a holistic approach to well-being and explore practices such as meditation, yoga, grounding exercises, and self-reflection as you begin to observe and befriend fear.
If you want to develop the following feelings and traits in your behaviour, working to release terror and fear from your energy will give you set you on your journey.
Stability, ability to be present, self-confidence, increased courage, trust in life, physical vitality, motivation to act, changing unhelpful behaviours, and feelings of safety are the gifts you receive.
Benefits # 3 – Feeling Safe
A strong foundation promotes a sense of stability, security, and groundedness.
Embracing Life & Befriending Sadness
Sadness is a complex emotion that can vary in intensity and duration. It is a normal and natural response to loss, disappointment, or challenging life circumstances.
When we befriend sadness we learn to see it from a different perspective. We can celebrate emotional connection in the present moment. Or we can use it for contrast to appreciate happy and joyful moments. When sadness arrives we can use it as an opportunity to rest and recuperate physically.
Disappointed encourages us to explore our relationship with expectations and teaches us that desire is a powerful and motivating feeling. Often knowing what we don’t want can guide us toward choosing what we do.
If you regularly experience feelings of disappointment, grief, desolation, loneliness, regret, helplessness or hopelessness, resignation, apathy or isolation, it’s useful to work on releasing sadness.
The gifts you’ll gain are plentiful. They include yhe ability to activate your emotional intelligence, manage your emotions and empathise with others. You’ll ignite your passion and inspiration, giving you the ability to freely express your creative ideas. You’ll also be able to accept pleasure into your life. You’ll open your body to new senses of touch, smell, and taste that can light up your daily experience.
Benefit # 4 – Identity
When you create a balanced relationship with sadness, you learn to celebrate connection in the present. You can build more connected relationships, develop emotional intelligence, and start to unleash your sense of individual identity.
Stepping Into Your Power - Working With Anger
Anger is a natural and normal human emotion that can arise in response to perceived threats, injustice, or frustration.
When we befriend our anger, we can contain the energy and use it to unleash our physical energy, motivation, desire and drive.
Do you have a tendency to feel rage, frustration, resentment, irritation, indignation, bitterness, hatred, disgust, jealousy, defensiveness or impatience?
If you do, it’s time to step into your power, gain insight into your anger triggers and learn how to contain the energy inside and use it purposefully.
When you learn to feel your anger emotions in your body you have a powerful guidance system. You learn to identify the unhealed aspects of your own mindset.
If you want to develop your self-confidence, and self-esteem, create a positive self-image and activate your personal power. It’s time to befriend your anger.
Those enjoying a healthy relationship with anger strong motivation, determination, and willpower. They can set goals and work diligently towards achieving them. What’s more, they can assert themselves respectfully, set boundaries, and stand up for their beliefs.
Benefit # 5 – Energy Activation
When you create a balanced relationship with anger you learn to assert your boundaries early and calmly, unlock your motivation and willpower, activate your self-discipline and engage in behaviours that boost your self-confidence.
More Reasons To Befriend Your Emotions
Forgiveness, Compassion & Empathy
When we trust that it’s safe to feel we can build loving relationships by having compassion and empathy, developing a deep sense of connection with others. We learn to forgive ourselves and others by acknowledging that everyone is doing the best they can with the resources they have available at any given time. Forgiveness allows us to heal emotional wounds and cultivate harmonious relationships. This results in a perspective of kindness, love, and care for self and others.
Active Listening And Creative Expression
Feeling comfortable in our own skin supports clear and authentic communication. We can express our thoughts, ideas, and emotions with confidence and clarity.
When our mind is free from “ideas of emotion” we can pay attention to others, value their perspectives, and engage in meaningful conversations.
As we practice expressing ourselves verbally, we also develop our ability to express ourselves in art forms: painting, music, and writing.
Stress Management
Developing a friendly relationship with your emotions helps you better handle stress and challenging situations.
By acknowledging and processing your emotions, you can prevent them from building up and causing undue stress.
You become better equipped to regulate your emotional responses, cope with adversity, and make decisions from a place of clarity and calmness.
There are many more than 10 reasons to befriend your emotions. If you’ve been avoiding emotional connection or perceiving your emotions through a negative lens, isn’t it time to bring more emotional well-being into your world?
Benefits # 6, 7, 8, 9 & 10
Build forgiveness, compassion and empathy, bring harmony into your relationships.
Build connection with others through ACTIVE listening.
Developing new forms of creative expression and thinking.
Stress Management & Personal Empowerment
