Emotional Pain – How Let Go?
Emotional pain, everyone has gone through their own unique form of suffering. It can take many shapes, from distress to desolation. Though it often feels like we are powerless against our feelings, the truth is that there are ways in which we can manage and contain our powerful emotions for a healthier lifestyle. This article will provide insight into understanding how emotion affects us physically as well as giving tips on finding healthy resolutions when faced with psychological pain.
What is emotional pain?
The weight of emotions or mental pain can be crippling, leaving you broken and in distress. Loss or grief might cause a deep ache in the heart leading to feelings of fear and anguish that prevent us from engaging with life like we used to.
Emotional pain isn’t only physical but ties into our thoughts as well, they are connected so what we think influences how we feel, making it especially difficult when trying to overcome such burdensome conditions.
The bittersweet nature of life can be seen in the positive emotions we feel; even joy and elation may lead us down a path filled with unintended consequences. Losing someone important to you is an event that’s sure to bring powerful feelings, both happy and sad. Unfortunately, these once-positive sentiments can quickly turn into guilt or mental anguish if kept unchecked.
How does mental pain affect you?
When feeling emotionally distressed, it can be easy to focus solely on the mental effects. However, this suffering has far-reaching consequences and ultimately affects more than just your heart or emotions, even other bodily functions are impacted by distress.
Our thoughts create our feelings which lead us down certain paths of action; whether positive (like self-care), neutral, or negative makes all the difference in how we conquer such anguish. Unfortunately however, often times those dealing with emotional difficulty make decisions that compromise their wellbeing.
The broken shards of a shattered heart can be difficult to put back together. Although it may feel at times like an all-consuming ache that radiates through your entire being, if left unaddressed this emotional anguish could manifest in physical symptoms such as nausea and disorientation or muscle pain.
It is important to remember when dealing with the hardships life throws our way, we must do our best not to act impulsively but find coping strategies that help us get through while protecting ourselves from making decisions which are emotionally driven rather than rational ones.
How to letting go of emotional pain?
Stop shutting off your emotions
Choosing to ignore your emotions can seem like the easy, logical route, but it’s a dead end. Repressing feelings causes them to build up inside until eventually they’re released in an unexpected eruption of emotion which can damage relationships and cause even more hurt than was originally felt. So don’t be afraid, open yourself up, let go of those old habits and embrace true emotional freedom!
Don’t shy away from tough emotions, they will be hard to live with if you don’t confront them. Instead of trying to push away your pain, use helpful techniques like meditation or yoga as ways to actively process and accept it so that over time you can overcome the distress.
Trying to stay busy and deny your pain may seem like an easy solution. However, it can actually be a hindrance. Subconsciously pushing away difficult emotions will keep you from feeling the joy of life too, something that could provide much needed comfort in trying times.
Move your body to curb the pain
Utilizing physical activity to improve your health can be an effective way of coping with emotional distress. Stimulating a positive environment by engaging in exercise will help generate the hormones and neurotransmitters that are necessary for wellbeing, leading you on a path toward joy and satisfaction as soon as it is finished. It’s time to move beyond just numbing yourself, use body movement instead!
Harness the power of movement to break free from your suffering! Exercise doesn’t have to be an intense workout; something as simple and calming as yoga could help calm negative emotions that are holding you back. Reclaim control with a holistic approach – turn up the music, lace up those running shoes, and get moving for maximum relief.
Pause before you eat and practice mindfulness
Before digging into your next meal, take some time to pause and ask yourself if it’s coming from a place of hunger or emotion.
If you push through the craving for unhealthy foods – and actually sit with that longing before allowing it to go away – you’ll gain insight regarding what motivates those decisions in terms of nutrition. Who knew mindful eating could be so beneficial?
Offer kindness
Despite being gentle with others, we can often be quite harsh on ourselves when facing challenge. We may find it hard to offer kindness for our own situation but this is an important step towards overcoming difficult times.
By shifting the language used from negative self-talk (“Why do I still feel like this?”) to more understanding and empowering messages (“I’m doing my best” or “I’m strong enough”), we give ourselves a chance to move forward in life’s inevitable ups and downs.
Repressing emotions can be like stuffing down an overflowing dish of food, the pressure will always weigh you down. Releasing your feelings freely on the other hand is like digesting that meal and turning it into nourishment for your spirit, a boost in energy to heal emotional wounds. It’s hard at first, but allowing yourself to really feel without judgment brings about healing and restoration from within!
Don’t play the victim
You are stronger than you think! Don’t let yourself be defined by what has happened to you – choose instead to move forward, unburdened by the weight of feeling like a victim. Embrace your inner strength and use it as an inspiration to create a new narrative for yourself, one that embraces resilience in spite of adversity.
Life has a way of throwing ups and downs at you, but it doesn’t have to define your future. You are an author of your own story; don’t be enslaved by the events that may bring emotional pain, take charge instead! Start with recognizing what happened in order to move on from their impact, then use positive thinking as fuel for an optimistic outlook. No matter what life throws at you, always remember that nobody gets through unscathed so never forget how powerful YOU can be over any suffering.
Find something to spend your energy on
Rather than focusing on darker emotional turbulences, draw from that energy and channel it into something constructive. Physical activity can be an effective form of catharsis for those dealing with difficult life catastrophes such as PTSD.
Giving them a chance to both vent out the pernicious emotions within them but also become more in touch with their bodies’ needs. Working up a sweat could be just what you need to help relieve stress and other mental health issues!
Despite feeling down, there is always something you can do to help pull yourself out of the funk. Take a chance and try something different! Shift your focus onto work or an activity that brings joy into your life. Anything from writing music to going for a run outside!
Even if all motivation feels lost, realize the significance in any progress made; don’t discount those victories no matter how small they may seem.
During a difficult situation, reward yourself with something you really enjoy. From sending positive messages to helping others in need, these small gestures are sure to bring some cheer during the gloomiest times and will even help make you stronger!
Listen
Don’t just listen – pay close attention and interpret what your emotions are trying to tell you. They could be conveying something of great importance, like warning signs that a potential danger is near. For instance, if an action would bring harm upon us such as jumping off a high cliff edge then our body will give us feelings of apprehension in order for us to stop ourselves from doing it!
When life throws us a curveball, we often feel uncomfortable in our skin. Whether it’s worrying about being rejected by someone close to us or the fear of not doing well at school, unease can settle into everyday moments and cloud how we perceive ourselves.
But these feelings don’t have to be debilitating, they also offer glimpses into what is driving our behavior – if you take note of them properly! By becoming aware of your innermost emotions, you gain further understanding on why certain scenarios make you react a certain way… opening up new possibilities for growth and success!
Own your experience
Choosing to honor your feelings and truly accept them can be a liberating experience. You don’t have to judge yourself harshly if you’re feeling down, rather, take the opportunity to observe each emotion as it passes while working on increasing understanding of why they arise within us in certain situations. Illuminating our inner emotions allows us a fuller appreciation for ourselves and life’s journey!
Rather than stuffing our feelings down and pushing them away, it is essential that we take the time to understand what emotions are coming up. Trying to outrun your sentiments with retail therapy or drowning in alcohol can be a short-term distraction but serves as an obstacle for being genuine with ourselves.
Naming these sensations gives us permission to not only acknowledge their existence, but also opens the door of self-reflection so we can learn from them instead of ignoring their importance in guiding toward deeper meaning and connection.
Keep a journal
Capturing your emotions in a journal is an empowering practice that can lead to greater self-awareness and understanding. Not every entry has to be long or detailed – just jotting down what emotion you feel and how it makes you physically feel can have significant insights over time.
To get more out of this practice, try using Dr. Gloria Wilcox’s Feeling Wheel tool which allows for further exploration into one’s emotional landscape with the help of descriptive words such as “hurt” or “scheming.”
Keeping track of our feelings – both daily fluctuations and patterns over time – provides us with valuable insight that helps inform choices we make going forward in life!
Find outlets to help you cope
Finding ways to keep a smile on your face is an excellent way to maintain balance during tough times. From heart-pumping exercise, calming meditation and nourishing nutrition.
All the way down to simple joys like enjoying some tunes or sipping coffee in the morning – there are countless avenues for finding positive outlets and raising those feel-good vibes. Take time each day for yourself exploring various activities that bring you comfort and satisfaction until calmness returns again!
Face what’s causing you pain
Rather than trying to ignore, distract or numb yourself from emotional pain you may be feeling, take the courageous step of confronting what’s causing it. It’s easy to try and cope by burying oneself in work and unhealthy habits like overspending on non-essentials, using drugs/alcohol or relying heavily on medication.
Unfortunately this can even make matters worse! Confronting your worries is often much more effective (and healthier!) in quelling any anguish that might have been lingering inside for far too long.
When emotions make us uncomfortable, it takes great courage and strength to face them head-on. Doing so can be challenging but the sense of reward that comes with overcoming these feelings is more than worth it. People often recommend exploring our own emotions as a way to come out stronger on the other side,
If we take this advice there may still be hope for joy ahead! Tap into your inner resilience, accept help from those around you when needed and do whatever possible in order to find peace again; remember how strong and capable you are throughout every step of the journey.
Why does this kind of pain hurt so much?
Emotional pain can be an intense and all-encompassing experience that feels just as unbearable as physical pain. But why does this type of hurt hurt so much?
The answer lies in our evolutionary biology – brain-wise, we’re actually wired to feel emotional pain more intensely than physical ones! Throughout history, humans have had to prioritize emotions as a tool for survival.
We needed to detect potential threats quickly so that we have time to respond accordingly and protect ourselves from danger! Therefore, our brains evolved over time to respond more strongly to emotional pain.
In addition, the way we think about our emotions also contributes heavily towards how much they hurt us. Our thoughts shape our feelings and behaviours. If we perceive something negatively or think of it as painful, then chances are it will be experienced keenly in the present moment.
If a negative memory is triggered by a certain event or situation in your life, this could intensify the sensations of discomfort associated with it!
Furthermore, emotional pain may sometimes be influenced subconsciously by past traumas which are still lingering within us. If unresolved issues like these remain stuck in our minds, it can cause them to resurface without warning and overwhelm us with feeling of sadness or fear.
This is why developing healthy coping mechanisms and seeking therapy from mental health professionals is so important: not only does it help identify underlying trauma, but also helps find strategies for managing difficult emotions too!
So, why does emotional pain hurt so much? Essentially because we’re biologically hardwired to experience it more intensely than physical pain.
Plus the way we think about our feelings and unresolved traumas often plays a big role too! Developing healthy coping skills and seeking help from mental health professionals is key if you want to better understand and manage your emotional pain in the long run.
What are the symptoms?
Emotional pain is a type of distress that can oftentimes be hard to describe or put into words. This type of psychological suffering can come in many forms and can affect us from mild and short-term sadness to an intense & persistent state of anguish. What are some common emotional pain examples?
One symptom is numbing. When one feels disconnected or numb from their emotions, this could be an indicator that they are struggling with emotional pain. People often detach themselves from their feelings to escape the intensity of them, but due to the inability to process these feelings – it leads to internal suffering in the long run!
Moreover, changes in behaviour can also point towards emotional pain. If you notice yourself feeling more irritable or withdrawing from activities/people you would normally enjoy, this could be a sign that something deeper is going on beneath the surface that needs attention.
And then there’s fatigue. Physical exhaustion is sometimes caused by mental distress which may manifest in especially strong ways during emotional pain. Research suggests a link between depression & fatigue as people with depression tend to have lower energy levels than those without it!
Lastly, appetite changes can occur too. As our brains react differently when we’re emotionally hurting. Depression might trigger cravings for high-calorie junk food whilst anxiety might lead us to suddenly feel full very quickly during meals. Each person experiences this differently though depending on their own unique body chemistry!
Emotional pain symptoms summary. They include numbing, changes in behaviour, fatigue and appetite changes – all of which should not be ignored if experienced for prolonged periods of time! Be sure to look out for any warning signs such as these and seek help from a trained mental health professional if necessary – it’s important for us all to take care of our mental wellbeing first and foremost.