Healing From the Outside In or Inside Out?

So often I read literature on how to manage emotions, yet I wonder what our would would look like if we really dissected emotions and attempted to identify the experience/s those emotion/s cultivate. 

Imagine if humans took the time to understand the meaning behind emotions we often verbalize and even display non-verbally. What would it be like to take a look at a feelings/emotions/sensations wheel (https://ytp.uoregon.edu/sites/ytp2.uoregon.edu/files/Feelings%20Wheel%20in%20PDF.pdf), randomly pick a spot (have fun with this and play “Pin the Tale on the Wheel”), look up said emotion/s in a dictionary, and really attempt to precisely identify not just logically, but emotionally, recalling on our experiences with said emotion/s.

………This could open a whole new world. Yes, I get this may not sound like the most appealing thing to do on a Friday night, or may even seem silly. Hear me out……

How can we truly, effectively manage something intangible and difficult to quantify when the mass population struggles with emotional granularity? What is this you might ask? This is our ability to accurately recognize and label emotions in the midst of experiencing them. Language shows us that naming an experience doesn’t give the experience more power, it gives us the power of understanding (Brene Brown). And that, my friends, unlocks massive mental doors that help us to surprisingly find freedom, hope, and joy. Our thoughts and feelings are so closely related, it's inevitable this combination impacts our responses, how we show up to a situation and our emotion/s. 

With that said, I can see why it’s so hard to manage something we struggle naming and why understanding emotions and how they all work is so important. We cannot tame what we cannot name (Daniel Siegel). Understanding ourselves, our emotions, along with being allowed to feel them AND express them in a healthy manner IS positively impacting how we show up and respond to those around us. 

Social Emotional Health is so vital, especially now more than ever with attempting to rebound from March of 2020. Our ability to understand and manage our emotions and to form social connections and relationships with the world around us IS hard. AND it is vital to us as humans. Our social goal is to be connected. Instead of stuffing emotions and/or thoughts that make us or others uncomfortable ……What would it be like to heal from the inside out? What would it be like to find a safe place/person to first feel connected with (i.e., find a therapist) in order to feel seen, heard, and not judged so you can find some healing. YES, this IS the hardest part, AND scariest, YET can be the most rewarding part of all. 

If you're not connected, reach out…. no matter the season in life, as humans we are better together!