Feel Your Feelings – Don’t Run From Them
In my daily practice with clients, we address many challenges, but one recurring theme stands out: emotional awareness. This is a topic I’m deeply passionate about because emotional awareness is such an important practice—not only in my work with clients but also in our everyday lives.
By learning to feel, process, and understand our emotions, we can heal, and live more authentically.
Are you connected to your emotions, or do you feel disconnected? Are you suppressing or avoiding them?
Emotions are energy in motion, and if we don’t allow ourselves to feel them, that energy can’t be released. Instead, those emotions linger in our system, repressed and avoided, potentially causing issues—mentally, emotionally, and even physically—sometimes leading to sickness. That’s why we all need to learn how to feel our feelings instead of pushing them down.
So, what does emotional awareness mean?
It means mindfulness—being connected with myself, recognizing what’s happening inside me instead of numbing, repressing, avoiding, or blaming.
It’s about taking responsibility for ourselves.
It’s about learning to notice how we feel. It’s about taking time, slowing down, and giving ourselves the space to feel.
Society has sold us a lie: Strength means keeping your emotions locked up tight, looking like you’ve got it all together. Tears? Anger? Vulnerability? Those are for the weak.
Let’s flip that script. Suppressing your feelings isn’t strength—it’s fear in disguise. Fear of losing control, fear of being swept away by the tidal wave of emotion, fear of not knowing what happens when you finally crack open that emotional Pandora’s box.
Here’s the truth: It takes courage to feel. It’s brave to sit with your sadness, your rage, your joy—whatever’s bubbling up—and let it exist. Feelings don’t vanish when you ignore them; they simmer in the shadows, quietly pulling strings you didn’t even know were there.
But when you let them in, when you give them space to breathe, they lose their grip. They flow through you and, eventually, move on. Healing can’t happen in a fortress of denial. Resentment festers when you refuse to feel. Stuckness sets in. Want freedom? Start by feeling.
So, how does that work? How to feel feelings?
Here’s a step-by-step guide to stop shoving your emotions under the rug and start honoring them instead.
Step 1: Pause and Observe
Feelings don’t come with a neon sign screaming, “Hey, notice me!” Most of the time, we push them away without even realizing it—scrolling through X, binge-watching shows, or burying ourselves in work. The first step is to stop.
〰 Pause. 〰
Drop what you’re doing. Create a little bubble of stillness around you. This isn’t about fixing anything yet—it’s about tuning in.
Turn your attention inward and play detective with your inner world:
What’s stirring right now?
How do I feel—tense, heavy, light, restless?
Where do I feel it—my chest, my throat, my stomach?
Any sensations popping up—tightness, warmth, a racing heart?
Think of yourself as an explorer, not a judge. You’re not here to label your feelings “good” or “bad”—just to notice them. Awareness is the spark that lights the way to healing.
Step 2: Welcome Everything
You’ve spotted the feelings. Now what? Don’t brace yourself for a fight—open the door and let them in.
You are all welcome here.
Sadness? Come on in.
Anger? Grab a seat.
Fear, disappointment, even that weird mix of emotions you can’t name? They’re all invited.
This isn’t about “fixing” them or shoving them out. It’s about allowing them to be. Acceptance doesn’t mean you’re weak—it means you’re strong enough to let the storm pass through without breaking.
Feel the sadness? Let the tears fall. Crying isn’t defeat; it’s your body flushing out emotional gunk.
Feel the anger? Let it rumble. Scream into a pillow, stomp your feet—whatever works.
Emotions are energy in motion - e-motion. Picture them as water rushing through a river. When you suppress them, you’re building a dam that’s bound to crack. Let the river flow instead.
Try this: Use your breath.
Your breath is your superpower—it’s free, it’s always there, and it can carry you through anything.
Inhale deeply, imagining love or calm filling you up.
Exhale, letting go of the tension, the heaviness, the junk you don’t need.
Keep breathing. Let the emotions ride the wave of your breath until they soften.
Step 3: Release and Let Go
Once you’ve felt your feelings—really sat with them—they don’t need to overstay their welcome. You’ve given them their moment; now you can let them drift away.
This isn’t suppression—it’s surrender. You’re not forcing them out; you’re trusting they’ve done their job and can leave. Say to yourself, “I see you, I’ve felt you, and now you’re free to go.”
Step 4: Shift Your Energy
Feelings don’t define you—they pass through you. After you’ve honored them, nurture yourself back to center.
Take a walk and let nature reset you.
Crank up your favorite playlist and dance like nobody’s watching.
Shake it out—literally. Shake your arms, your legs, your whole body to loosen the leftover energy.
Grab a snack, a cozy blanket, or call a friend.
Do something that feels good, something that reminds you you’re still here, still whole.
Why This Matters
If you keep shoving your feelings down, they don’t just disappear—they pile up. They turn into resentment, burnout, or that vague sense of “blah” you can’t shake. But when you let them move through you, you’re not just surviving—you’re growing. You’re healing. You’re stepping into a version of yourself that’s freer, lighter, more you.
Next time something bubbles up, don’t run from it. Pause. Feel it. Let it flow. Let it go. You’re safe to feel—I promise.
Mantra: I am safe to feel. I am strong enough to let this pass through me.
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