Suppressing Our Emotions vs Reigning Control of Our Emotions

When I first started being aware of my emotions, I thought ignoring my reality was the best way to go about it. This made me feel claustrophobic in my own body, as I wouldn't be honest with myself about how I was truly feeling—until a time came when I was just done pretending.

Suppressing our emotions means that we are not ready to accept what we feel about a certain circumstance. We neglect what we truly feel, and push away the energy that is trying to make its way through us. When we suppress, we aren't honest with ourselves. Living in our bodies becomes an uncomfortable experience as the internal energy stagnates. This creates a form of functional freeze in our bodies.

Reigning control over our emotions begins with accepting how we feel about any circumstance. Especially when we've been trained to believe that we should only feel what is acceptable.

This unconditional acceptance begins when we meet our emotions in their raw form, without judging them for their existence. In my experience, this practice taught me to be less critical of what came naturally to me. I realized that these emotions are natural responses to my subjective experiences - the experiences that are unique to me.

When we no longer add preferences or alter our emotions to fit them into an "acceptable" category, we witness them as they are. We show compassion towards our past selves and our experiences.

Once we are comfortable experiencing these emotions as they are, we learn to take full accountability for our responses and our experiences. This means we are consciously in control of our emotions. We notice, and accept them for what they are, and respond suitably, instead through our past emotional wounds.

We no longer allow our emotions to run our lives. Rather, we are focused on navigating our nuanced experiences, honouring our subjective realities, and holding space for others' nuanced, valid, and visceral experiences without dismissing them as well.

This creates space to accommodate each other and connect with others with compassion. It also creates space for possible repair and honest communication.