Don’t be afraid of emotions

We often hide our emotions or try to escape from them by keeping ourselves busy. But emotions actually provide us with useful messages about ourselves, letting us know who we are and what we value, finds journalist Otje van der Lelij (who isn’t such a fan of emotions herself).

How can you tell if you’re trying to escape your emotions? “Feelings want to be heard, so they will keep trying to draw our attention to them,” says mindfulness therapist Rob Brandsma. “No matter how good you are at running, your emotions will always keep trying to seep into your consciousness. You become somber or grumpy, or you feel uncomfortable. You can feel it most at the end of the day, when your reservoir of distractions is drying up. What it boils down to is that you have to be busy all the time, or else emotions will be able to grab you.”

What’s more, all that running and suppression drains your energy. That has all of the usual consequences, like fatigue, headache and physical tension. Unfortunately, it can also influence your ability to feel positive feelings. “The walls we build around ourselves to keep sadness out, also keeps out the joy,” wrote American author and motivational speaker Jim Rohn (1930-2009).