How to get rid of the emotional burden and the stress it causes
The emotional burden is so debilitating that apart from harming your mental health, it can also cause physical problems. And so, according to therapists, you need to release your trapped emotions by acknowledging and connecting with them. Read on to learn about some exercises that can help you overcome trauma.
Emotional baggage is unprocessed trauma that can be stigmatizing because it typically carries negative connotations
Many times in life, you are unable to let go of certain situations and issues and are surrounded by emotional baggage, which means unfinished emotional issues, stress, pain and difficulties. According to experts, these feelings can take up space in your mind for a long time and affect existing relationships.
Psychologists refer to emotional baggage as unprocessed trauma which can be stigmatizing because it generally has a negative connotation. And so, your trapped emotions can impact:
- the way you think about yourself
- your response to stress and other mental health problems
- Your physical health
- your relationships with others
- Emotional stress can affect you physically
Experts say that storing or trapping emotions can also have physical effects in the long run. Symptoms of traumatic stress manifest at a subconscious level, leading to anxiety in some people, depression or a fight-flight-freeze response in many others.
Negative emotional energy is also expressed as:
- resentment against a person or feeling
- being unable to make decisions
- Self-sabotaging
- always over reacting
- Always feeling tired and exhausted
Many therapists compare trapped emotions to carrying around a large backpack – it weighs you down, impacts your mood, and saps your energy.
How to get rid of your emotional burden?
Although releasing your inner emotions is not difficult, it is not that easy either. Although you can cry, scream, laugh, punch a pillow or dance, you can also suppress your pain and move on. However, over time, this leads to repressed emotions, also known as unconscious avoidance.
According to studies, there is a link between emotional repression and low functionality of the immune system. And so, to feel lighter and healthier, here are some ways to release your repressed emotions:
Acknowledging Your Feelings
As a first step, it’s important to understand your feelings in order to let them go. Experts say people with repressed emotions may have trouble identifying their feelings, which is why talking to a mental health professional can be valuable.
Recovering from trauma
Past trauma can always pull you back to your past, no matter how much you think about the future. Often, there are things that a person carries with them for years, including abuse, neglect, the death of a loved one, separation, or even bullying.
To heal from your trauma, experts suggest it’s important to first feel the grief and then let it go.
Try shadow work
According to experts, shadow work helps you explore different parts of yourself that you hide from the rest of the world due to shame, fear or rejection.
committing deliberate acts
Intentional movements are physical experiences that, according to experts, are a simple way to address any unprocessed stress or emotions that may be present in your body.
To get rid of these feelings, you can take up activities like dance, yoga or martial arts.
Practicing Peace
Stillness is one of the best ways to clearly understand your thoughts and feelings in the current situation. It helps you tap into your brain’s default mode, triggering a self-generated cognition — which includes things like daydreaming.
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