What is the point of having all these emotions?

You are reading this either feeling totally overwhelmed by your emotions or completely disconnected from them. You are thinking, “ Why do I even need these emotions?” They ruin my day and are uncomfortable. But, what if you can start to understand your emotions better and use them to your benefit? What if you can learn to manage them better? What if they helped you draw closer to others instead of apart? Think of it this way, If you hurt your physical body, would you care for it? If you fell, scraped your knee, would you clean and bandage it? Yes, you would! Your emotions also are part of your body that needs the same care. Your feelings need to be noticed, given time, and need to heal. So, there are benefits to our emotions. They are telling you something about yourself and what you are experiencing. Emotions are part of your everyday life, whether you like it or not, notice them or not. Emotions are a part of you that relates to how you connect with others, make choices, or get inspired about the life around you. You just may need a little support in understanding them to feel that you can face them or manage them better. To help in getting started here are three benefits relating to understanding your emotions: 1) Emotions help you understand yourself: Your emotions need to be given some time and space, a moment to be acknowledged. Instead of shaming, acting out, or shoving away your feelings. Understanding them can bring some more context to what you are experiencing. I may ask, “ When you acted that way, what were you feeling?” “ Why were you so angry?” You may notice, “Because I don’t do anything, right?” Can you see that the intensity of your anger was connected to your belief about your performance?” By taking this time helps you to know why you felt and reacted as you did. Once you understand, you can then be more aware of your emotions and choose how you would like to manage your feelings when a similar situation arises. 2) Emotions help identify where you are in your life situations: They alert you in letting you know how things are affecting you. Your emotions are trying to tell you something. You feel overwhelmed for a reason; you have too much on your plate. You are feeling sad because what was said was hurtful. You are feeling anxious because you don't believe in your strengths and capabilities. 3) Emotions help you connect with others: Once you start to understand your own emotions it allows you to better connect with others. You can let others know how you feel, bringing you support and comfort or solving a conflict. You might even find that they have felt the same way too. You will also become more comfortable and understand other people’s emotions, allowing for more opportunities to connect with them. These changes in understanding emotions can create a deepening of connection in your relationships. You deserve to take good care of yourself and your relationships. Understanding your emotions can help you start to rein in your emotions or to better connect with them. They give you a richer context to what you are experiencing in life and how to share it more deeply with others. Start to better care for yourself today. Reach out for more support!