We all generate emotions, and we need to express them. Unfortunately, some people go through life suppressing what they feel and then end up exploding with anger, sadness, or even depression. Many don’t know their feelings and why they feel the way they do. Sometimes, deep pain from our past floods us with feelings such as resentment, despair, guilt, or shame. Whatever the source of our emotions, if people don’t find a way to get balanced emotions, they can wreak havoc on our daily lives and relationships.
1) Guilt
Guilt is a heavily misunderstood emotion. When we feel guilty, our first instinct is to make amends as quickly as possible. Most of us have been conditioned from a very early age to believe that guilt is always followed by punishment (usually in the form of spending time with others or through self-imposed exile). As such, when we feel guilty, we usually want to know how to get rid of it as soon as possible.
Until much later in life, we constantly realize that guilt points to us being on the right path. When you feel guilty about something, you are being called to take responsibility for your actions. You are being asked to own up to what you have done so far and commit further towards reducing pain for yourself and others.
2) Anger
Anger is also a misunderstood emotion. Anger can manifest as rage, irritation, or annoyance. When we feel angry at someone (or ourselves), our emotional defense mechanisms will try to convince us that the anger is justified and help minimize any possible consequences this person may experience from their actions.
However, without exception, anger is always a product of unmet needs. When we try to suppress the anger, we often only suppress our own needs and limit our ability to communicate those needs healthily. In addition, this suppression can cause us to resent others and ourselves, perpetuating the cycle of neediness that starts with anger.
3) Desire
Your desires are a direct byproduct of your values. When you suppress your desires, you are giving someone else the power to define what is valuable for you and what isn’t. This is how society operates. We have all been brainwashed to believe that following our desire is wrong because we must honor authority above all else.
4) Regret
When you are experiencing regret over something, you feel the loss of opportunity to learn and grow from that experience. When we suppress regret, we miss out on an opportunity to let go of our old ways of thinking. Without this release, there’s no way for new information to enter your life.
5) Shame
Shame is the belief that you are inherently unworthy of love and belonging. When you suppress shame, you are not allowing yourself to grieve this perceived loss of self-worthiness. It’s only when you permit yourself to feel this loss that you can then move forward in your life with patience and understanding for how you have come to this belief of unworthiness.
In conclusion, trapped emotions are holding us back from achieving our goals. The good news is that these are the easiest emotions to release. All you have to do is understand what they are, sit with them for a bit, and then focus on letting them go.
