Shame is a tough one. It definitely FEELS like a “negative” emotion. But, as with all the emotions, shame is very valid for our emotional wellness and learning.Ugh. Shame is so tricky - there are misconceptions of what shame is and why we feel it. I’m going to say it again - I’m not a mental health professional. I am a woman living with PTSD and Major Depressive Disorder. I come from a childhood background of abuse and so shame is an emotion I CONSTANTLY deal with and continue to work on even now at 46.There’s a difference between the emotion called Shame and Toxic Shame. I’m going to break it down the way I understand it. So let me know what...
Sadness is an emotion that many consider “negative.” But, as with all the emotions, sadness is very valid and necessary for our emotional wellness.Feeling sad is never someone WANTS to feel - but sadness signals that we have lost someone or something we truly care about. We also feel sadness if something hasn’t gone the way we wanted it to - like the cancellation of a trip or getting a job you really wanted. 🥺I think we have all felt some pretty deep sadness in the past year because of the pandemic. You may have gotten sick and don’t feel 100% better - and now you are sad because it’s harder to do some things you used to have an easy...
Fear is another emotion that many consider “negative.” But, as with all the emotions, fear is very valid and necessary for our emotional wellness.Like anger, fear alerts us to a possible threat to us or to our loved ones - be it physical or emotional. It tells us that something is not right (I was going to say wrong, but I think that word is a lot more loaded when discussing mental health). It gives us a recognizable feeling to help us get through a situation.For me, fear and anger go hand in hand. Because of my childhood, I many times had to hide my fear in order to stay safe. If I showed that I was afraid, it could up...
When we push down our anger, we are surpressing a much needed feeling that is telling us something is wrong. Whether it be for actual survival or if someone was unkind and hurt your feelings, anger serves its purpose to alert us that we need to be aware of our surroundings, both physically and emotionally. Here are 5 reasons why Anger is an important emotion - it’s not negative but can be quite positive. When we are angry, we can feel positive about changing the situation for the better. It can empower us to move away from a difficult position to a more desirable one. Do you accept your anger as a source of empowerment? If so, how? If not,...
