I don’t know how to express myself right now

I don’t know, I just don’t know how to express how im really feeling i guess. I’m feeling too many things. I’m nervous, I feel stuck and hurt. I’ve been trying to do some improving, how do I stop my feelings?
Asked by Mav
Answered
12/20/2022

Thank you for your question. You seem to be going through a lot of pain. Trying to stop the way you feel or the emotions you are experiencing is neither a healthy idea or a practical idea. Feelings are how our body communicates with us. If you want to express what you are feeling, you will first need to describe it. Scan your body to see where you feel discomfort then sit with whatever you're feeling and try to accept it. Do not push it away or suppress it. It is going to be there anyway. This may be very painful at the beginning. The good news is that once you discover the cause of your feelings and emotions, you can then create a plan to overcome your pain, and then your emotions will change. 

You may feel "stuck or hurt" because instead of expressing your feelings, you have become your feelings. There is a thin line between what is a healthy behavior to express feelings and an obsessive behavior that adds to our feelings. If you feel sad, allow your self to be sad, or if you feel angry allow yourself to feel that anger. However, you must not give your entire day to these feelings. Rather, allow yourself a certain amount of time each day to let your emotions flow. Say 60 to 90 minutes a day. But when those minutes have passed, you must stop and focus on something else. During those minutes, though, you can cry, yell, scream, swear, journal or whatever else you need to do to get through those minutes. 

Try to remember to be gentle with yourself when you begin this process.  And trust that what you are feeling won't last forever. There are some practical ways and activities you can practice to help quiet your thoughts, feelings and emotions.  Try looking for meditations that help teach you to change your body from a state of tension to a state of relaxation. The more stress, anxiety, and tension in your body, the more toxic it becomes, making it harder to process not only physical changes, but emotional changes as well.

Sometimes we get confused about what we are feeling because our feelings are so closely tied to our thoughts and if our thoughts are confusing and intrusive, well the feelings and emotions attached to those thoughts will also feel confusing. One way to break free from this state of confusion is to journal what we are thinking and feeling. Putting pen to paper allows for clarity, organization, and truth. Once on paper we can no longer deny what we are thinking or feeling. 

I hope this helps somewhat. Thank you again for your question. 

(LMSW, BSW, SAT)