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Mental Health
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Mind
What It Really Means To Honour Your Emotions
July 21st, 2021 at 4:01 pm
You’ve probably seen the phrase “honor your feelings” before, but did you really understand what it meant? If you weren’t able to grasp the concept, don’t worry, we’ve got you! During these difficult times, it has become more important than ever to honor your emotions.
When we honor someone, we respect them and truly value them. Think of someone you hold in high regard, do you hold yourself in the same esteem? If your answer is no, you should! All our feelings and emotions, both positive and negative, deserve to be respected.
What It Means
Honoring your emotions involves accepting what you’re feeling, allowing yourself to feel it, and then releasing it. Have you noticed that when you deny what you feel, you end up feeling more overwhelmed, and react in a way you regret? Bottling up your emotions will only harm you and those around you.
However, it is not your fault for doing so. Most of us have been taught to “suck it up”, but as negative as your emotions may seem – they aren’t bad and you aren’t wrong for experiencing them either. We must separate feeling an emotion and acting on an emotion because we can’t help how we feel, but we can choose how we act.
How To
What are you feeling at this very moment? Take a few deep breaths to get in touch with your emotions. If you’re feeling positive, carry on! But if any negative emotions have surfaced, here’s how you should honour them:
- Notice your emotions: If you can, write down what you’re feeling and be honest with yourself. Don’t exclude any emotions that you’re embarrassed about, and include feelings you’re unclear of too.
- Validate your feelings: Go through your list and assure yourself that it is okay to feel these feelings.
- Allow yourself to be: For a few minutes to, at most, a few hours, give yourself permission to be in your true emotional state. It’s important not to judge yourself during this time.
- Release: Once you’ve gotten to know your feelings, release them. When this is followed by an action, you’ll find that it represents you better compared to when you act on your emotions.
To Sum It Up
Healing emerges when you honor your emotions. It gives you time and space to discover personal growth, self-awareness, love and forgiveness. By viewing our feelings from a point of observation, we’re able to respond to situations rather than have a knee-jerk reaction.
Remember: you are not your emotions. Rather than being defined by your feelings, reframe the way you see them to help identify what areas need healing. Let your feelings flow freely and you’ll be able to have a better hold over how you handle them!
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