Managing and expressing our emotions can feel complicated at times. This may be the case for individuals of any age and gender. However, this is an essential practice as healthily dealing with your emotions promotes mental well-being, productivity and better relationships with others – be it your family, friends, partner or colleagues.
At some point in our lives, we all suffer from regulating our emotions and processing them in the right way. Whether you have gone through a great loss, a traumatic incident or external factors that cause stress, worry and grief, learning how to manage your emotions is the best thing you can do for yourself. Find below some of the easiest and effective ways to deal with your emotions at any stage of your life.
HOW TO DEAL WITH EMOTIONS IN A HEALTHY WAY
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Wait before responding
Many times, we tend to overreact or think before responding to others or in a situation that causes us harm later. Take a moment to pause and understand your emotions before reacting or saying something. You may feel angry, sad, or hurt but it is best to pause and process these emotions for a healthy response these emotions before expressing them. A brief reflection can help prevent reactive outbursts.
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Focus on the present
The biggest reason a person overthinks or feels depressed is because of thinking about past events or worrying about the future. Overthinking leads to being anxious and thinking about situations that may or may not even happen – it takes a toll on a person’s mental health and may even cause panic attacks etc. Living in the past also deteriorates a person’s mind as they keep replaying past moments that may have caused them trauma, grief or pain. Hence, focusing on the present and being positive and grateful for the things around you is the best way to manage your emotions and stop overthinking the future or the past.
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Practice meditation
If you have a hard time controlling your anger or reacting negatively, then practice meditative techniques that help you regulate your nervous system. People with anxiety also should try meditation, such as basic exhaling in and out or taking deep breaths. These small, mindful practices help you become calm and less reactive.
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Expressing your feelings
If you keep the above points in mind, expressing your emotions and feelings becomes easy and you gain better communication skills, whether it is at home, your workplace or at your university/school. Expressing your feelings in the right way is important to feel better and foster relationships that are long-lasting and healthy. By bottling your feelings and emotions, you can start to feel depressed or may face anger issues that are disguised by suppressed feelings.
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Exercise
Taking a run in the morning or evening, or doing exercise at home or at a gym, helps you release stress, promoting a healthy physical and mental lifestyle. Instead of reacting or overthinking, walking, jogging, working out, or even engaging in sports such as swimming or football can help you feel better and stronger.
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Talking to a therapist
Lastly, if you feel like you are suffering from dealing with your emotions and going through a tough phase in life, it is best to seek a therapist and talk about your feelings and what emotions you are going through. This way, you can learn ways to cope with it and adopt healthy practices to regulate your emotions.