Express true emotions and find your authentic self

Being in touch with your feelings will make you a better person. Being true to your emotions can’t help but make you feel better about yourself, allowing you to be authentic.

According to Barton Goldsmith of Psychology Today, when you choose to bury your feelings, you tend to act differently. “We may not make ourselves available to others and may withdraw, or just not be fully engaged when we do spend time with other people. At other times, we can react inappropriately because our emotions are pulling us in a different direction from where we really want or need to go. When you express how you really feel (in an appropriate manner), problems get solved, relationship issues get resolved, and life is easier. In addition, you will like your life better because you’re not holding on to unhealed or confusing feelings,” said Goldsmith.

As a matter of fact, showing your vulnerability is one of the surest ways to establish deeper, more intimate relationships, said Svetlana Whitener of Forbes Coaches Council. “Never think that exhibiting vulnerability shows weakness. It takes strength and fortitude to do it and the payoff in terms of better, instant rapport and deeper relationships is definitely there,” added Whitener.

Sometimes people tend to hold back expressing their truth because the situation requires them to do so. For example, if there are other people (especially children) in the room, or you’re coming from a place of anger, check to make sure you’re speaking in a tone that won’t offend or upset those around you. The purpose of expressing your emotions is to convey your true feelings, and to be open and honest, not to embarrass or blast another human being.

Emotional awareness allows us to know what we feel and therefore advocate for what we, and those we love need.

Increasing one’s emotional intelligence can be challenging, however, the opposing course also presents its own challenges. Repressing or suppressing our feelings can be an attractive option, but in the long run can lead to cause self-abandonment, self-destructive behaviors, and even illness.

It’s not always easy to feel, and often times it can make situations and experiences more of a challenge in the short term. However, there is gold in those emotional hills if you can have will, the grit, and the perseverance to simply cultivate it.

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