Change can be exciting, a chance to start over and experience new opportunities and challenges. We are often taught and expected to celebrate these transitions. So it can be confusing when we feel emotions other than joy or excitement.
Dream Analysis in Therapy
Healing Negative Body Image
Building a Life Around Values
Identity Lag
Anger: The Bodyguard of the Psyche
How To Set Goals Without Pressure
Breaking The Self-Doubt Spiral
When we experience disappointing responses to our efforts, it’s tempting to make that mean something about how unskilled we are, how incompetent we must be, or even how unlovable or undeserving of a person we feel we are. We tell ourselves a story that if we had just worked a little harder, or said the right thing, or “mastered” the extremely simple art of toasting toast, then we would receive a more favorable response and thus, feel better about ourselves.
Emotional Suppression vs. Regulation
We often hear the words “emotional regulation” and think it means: “be rational instead of emotional” or “maybe just don’t feel your emotions at all!” Maybe you’ve even heard that if you let yourself feel the emotions, then people will view you as “emotionally unstable”. If you’ve heard any of the above, it totally makes sense.