An emotion that is repressed is a feeling, memory or thought that we involuntarily avoid because of something that causes us discomfort. However, each of the feelings that we repress can harm us mentally and physically, since most of the time there are not enough mechanisms to deal with them and process them in the most appropriate way.
Why do we suppress emotions?
In general, we do it because they cause us pain, anxiety or sadness, or because we have lived in spaces where we have not been able to express ourselves as we would have liked, therefore, this repression is the way we unconsciously find to protect ourselves against this emotional charge. . However, it is not an easy thing. Many people experience situations in their closest social circle, whether in the family or work environment, etc., which they associate with shame or impotence.
Other reasons why emotions are often repressed are:
- Childhood traumas. Possibly if criticism, punishment or humiliation has been suffered for expressing ourselves in some way, the resource is precisely to repress what we have been singled out for.
- Family. The family entity is also the cause of repressing emotions, for having ever recriminated any behavior.
How can you identify if you have repressed emotions?
Some signs can reveal that we are repressing emotions. For example:
- If we think that by expressing certain emotions we are tending to be weak, so we cannot express them.
- Tendency to avoidance: this usually happens when trying to counteract the repressed emotion, resorting to behaviors such as alcoholism, overeating or focusing too much on the work aspect.
- Nervousness and stress: those who suppress their emotions almost always find themselves experiencing these sensations, even if they do not know the reason why they feel that way.
- Being distracted.
- Feeling uncomfortable: when the person who represses their emotions appreciates that in their environment there are other people who express themselves as they wish and are, this usually causes feelings of discomfort in certain situations.
- Sadness: it can almost always appear when someone else tries to address the feelings of someone who is emotionally repressed. This is the way they have of shoveling intimacy with other people and telling what they feel.
- Too much positivity: when a person expresses himself as someone extremely positive, it can sometimes mean how much he wants to "erase" or not face the emotions that he represses.
What to do not to suppress emotions?
Self-knowledge is very important in this case, in addition to knowing that we must all combat those negative emotions that appear in our lives, much more if they disturb us. This is not an easy feat, but the following can be tried:
- Understand our relationship with what we feel. In this case, it is important to take time to review the behaviors we assume when we experience some negative emotion, and think about how we could better respond to them. For example, it would be helpful to identify when and how we tend to repress emotions instead of fighting them.
- Identify how we feel emotions bodily. Each person perceives feelings in a very different way. Determining this can go a long way in releasing repressed emotions.
- Think about what could trigger an emotion in order to be able to manage it more efficiently. For example, if you feel anxious before entering a competition, it may be helpful to do breathing exercises to calm yourself down.
- Act. Repressed emotions can be changed by taking steps to deal with this fact, as well as the negativity that comes with it.
- Seek therapeutic help. If we feel unable to deal with repressed emotions and if they occur frequently, it is very important to seek professional help to learn how to coexist with our emotions instead of denying them.
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