USING OUR EMOTIONS FOR GOOD 

I was often teased in school for crying. I was emotionally sensitive, and I would cry when I felt misunderstood. I learned that crying is bad, and later on at work I’d be mortified when I felt the tears welling in my eyes.  It’s such a mix of emotions for me when my intentions are mistaken and I’m being wronged for my actions. I feel disappointment, sadness, and anger. I would speak up to defend myself, but often in tears, which would make me feel embarrassed and even more stressed about making a good impression. And I would spend hours and days thinking about it.

We tend to think emotions are bad. We see angry outbursts, and especially for women, that’s deemed being emotional. However, what we tend to call anger is often the behavior that results from rejecting, suppressing and ignoring our emotions for too long rather than the actual emotion that we feel inside, which could have started out as sadness or fear.

I have learned to use my emotions as information and instead of ignoring them, being aware of them and learning how to communicate how I feel and what I need to solve the issue. And with that, I am able to move from feeling powerless to reclaiming agency over my emotional and mental health. 

WORK WITH, NOT AGAINST OUR EMOTIONS …

Learn how by reading the full article here.

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Originally published on May 16, 2023 at JeanetteBronee.com.